Love, Fury, and Passion
by Nixia
Summary: Elena wakes to find herself in transition, and struggles with the decision to feed and become a vampire, or die. While in transition, memories of her and Katherine return from a time before she met the Salvatores. Having to deal with an overprotective Damon and a paranoid Katherine, who inadvertently sired her, doesn't help. 4x1 AU onwards
1. Returning Memories

Silence was absolute within the Gilbert residence. The reason being was that a young brunette currently lay unconscious on her bed undergoing a vampiric transition after an unfortunate accident brought forth her untimely demise. Although she was in such a state, she wasn't alone.

The Salvatore brothers had been near, both refusing to leave the side of her fragile form. Damon brought a hand up and removed a strand of hair from her face, frowning as he did so. His heart felt as though it were being squeezed; his insides churned with shame. The guilt he felt had been too much, for he blamed himself for not being there when she needed him most.

His eyes snapped shut, stubbornly refusing to shed a tear. But they weren't tears of sorrow, but tears of anger and frustration that were threatening to fall. He hated his brother for not pulling her out of the sinking vehicle first. It confused him why his brother would even put her second.

He looked on as she went through the familiar transition, they too, once went through, and sighed heavily. He turned to his brother, eyes narrowed as he asked, "Why hasn't she awoken yet?"

"She was just involved in a car accident," Stefan reminded, gazing at the unconscious brunette. "Give her some time, Damon."

"We've been waiting hours!" the older Salvatore snapped as he resumed his intent glare at his brother. It infuriated him how Stefan was able to keep a calm demeanor in a situation such as this.

Several more hours had gone by as the brothers patiently continued to wait, both feeling hesitant to admit the girl they both care for might never awaken. And as soon as they were on the verge of losing hope, a sudden groan pulled them out of their thoughts as Elena stirred in bed, eyes fluttering open and looking wholly disoriented.

Slowly but surely, she raised her head off of the mattress and groaned as the pain from the accident made itself known. Her ears picked up familiar voices calling out to her, but as she focused her eyes on them, her vision blurred as a headache suddenly appeared.

"Can someone please tell me what happened?" she mumbled, shifting in bed uncomfortably.

"You were in an accident," Stefan informed, causing Elena to gasp as the recollection of the accident replayed in her mind. Images of the bridge, Rebekah, and...

"Oh, my god, Matt, is he-"

"_Alive_?" Damon interjected, glaring at his brother. "Ask Stefan, the hero."

Stefan ran a hand through his hair before looking her straight in the eyes. "He's fine." Elena released a breath, she hadn't known she had been holding, then gave Stefan a soft smile. Thankfully, Matt got out alive. The last thing she needed was one of her friends dead because they were trying to help her.

"Thank you. I thought that we were... How did you-"

"Save you?" Damon interrupted, eyeing his brother with disappointment. "Stefan didn't."

"When Jeremy brought you to the hospital before all this had happened, your injuries were worse than anyone knew. Meredith Fell made a choice, she used vampire blood to heal you," Stefan revealed. "And when Rebekah ran Matt's truck off the road, you still had that same vampire' blood in your system, Elena," he revealed, surprising the brunette.

"Whose vampire blood did I have running through me during the time of the accident?"

"Does it matter?" Damon retorted, shrugging. He was just glad to see her _alive_.

Elena gasped; her hands covering her mouth. "Oh, my god! Does that mean that I... am I dead?!" In response, the brothers nodded their heads. "No, no, that wasn't supposed to happen. I was ready to die, I was supposed to die," she shrieked, running her hands through her hair.

The brothers stayed silent, unsure of what to say. Both had very different opinions on the matter; whereas Stefan was saddened by her being a vampire, Damon, on the other hand, exuded a pleased expression. He was obstinate in this regard, he didn't care if she was a vampire, as long as she was able to live once more.

And to a certain extent, he had no doubt she would come to love being a vampire. It had many perks that he can see himself and her enjoying together.

His hand extended, holding a small cup of blood. "Complete the transition," he pleaded, eyes gleaming with untold anticipation.

"She has all day before she has to feed, Damon," Stefan hissed in annoyance.

Chocolate brown eyes locked with the pleading, icy-blue eyes in front of her, noticing the desperation his gaze was emitting. She smiled a sad smile, and slowly shook her head, already having doubts about her status as a vampire.

"I'm not sure I want to complete the transition..." Elena murmured, hoping he would understand her predicament. And by the looks of it, he didn't as he had mumbled under his breath and sped off through her window. Stefan stared at her a moment before he too followed after his brother to ensure he didn't do anything reckless.

* * *

**Memory**

A lone man panted heavily as he limped quietly from tree to tree using all the strength his wounded legs could muster. He stopped for a short moment, gathering his breath, but still remained cautious of his surroundings as night had begun to fall. His gaze drifted around, listening for any sounds of his pursuer, but was only met with an eerie silence.

He reached for his back pocket and pulled out his wallet, flipping it open until his eyes landed on a picture of him and his wife and children. His thumb lightly brushed over the picture, cleaning away the tear that had fallen onto it as he broke into a sobbing fit. He doubted the woman... no... demon would allow for him to escape from its clutches.

The sounds of nearby twigs breaking jolted him back and filled him with a sense of dread. _It_ was closing in on him. He hobbled on over to the next tree, and the next until finally he was able to make out what appeared to be a road up ahead. Just the mere sight had given him the strength he needed to keep moving forward.

"Well, I'm walking down the road and I still don't see you," a young girl complained. "Are you sure you didn't take a wrong turn, dad?" she groaned, running a hand through her hair in frustration.

The man's ears perked up, closely listening as he could have sworn he heard a female voice up ahead. He narrowed his eyes, attempting to peer through the trees and bushes that shrouded his line of sight until his gaze landed on a girl ambling along the road, completely oblivious to the danger lurking in the surrounding woods.

"_Help!_" he shouted, or at least attempted to, but much to his dismay found his voice to be hoarse.

His heart skipped a beat. He slowly turned around and peered into the fog that seemed to come out of nowhere. For a brief moment, he didn't see or hear anything, but that would soon change as a sadistic laugh echoed his surroundings; the sound of it gradually ceasing to exist as _it_ drew closer. And much to his horror he was able to make out the silhouette of a woman in the fog, simply standing there observing him.

"_Please,_" the man cried, tightening his hold on a nearby tree. But his plea had fallen on deaf ears as the feline-like predator stalked closer to her prey, a hint of a smirk etched on her amused face. He quickly turned around and through the trees and branches spotted the same girl walking along the road.

He made a break for it; his hands pushing the way through the thick bushes as his hoarse voice called out for help. As he drew closer to the edge of the woods, he felt hope flare within him as he got a good look at her. It was a young brunette, no older than seventeen, talking on a cell phone. "_Please, he-_"

"I'll be waiting here un-" the girl paused as she looked toward the nearby woods on the other side of the road, knowing she heard someone. But the distressed voice had abruptly faded from her ears as soon as it appeared. "I'll be waiting here under the street light, so please don't take long."

The young girl snapped her phone shut, but kept her attention on the woods across the street. The voice she had heard sounded so close, and it was that of a man, that she was quite certain of. Unbeknownst to her, she was also the focus of someone's attention, only she couldn't see who with all the trees and branches in the way, but _its_ predatory eyes were able to see just fine through it.

"Who is out there!" the girl shouted, and gripped onto her phone as a sudden strong rush of wind passed by her.

"Aren't you a cutie," said a rather familiar female voice from behind her. The girl spun around quickly only to be met with a girl who looked like her mirror image. Surprise washed over her as she took several steps back, blinking repeatedly to ensure she wasn't hallucinating. But this method didn't have the desired effect as the other brunette continued to stand before her with amusement plastered over her face.

"I'm Katherine," she introduced herself, her eyes dancing with mischief as she took in her apparent doppelganger. It truly intrigued her how identical the two were, and she immediately found herself concocting a plan to use the human to her advantage. She did have many enemies, and one, in particular, whose lust for her blood was quite renowned.

"...How do we look-alike?" the human suddenly asked, somewhat unnerved with the strange gleam in Katherine's eyes. Her well-deserved question had only earned her an unreadable look from Katherine as Katherine stared at her for a long assessing moment before releasing a small chuckle and sauntering forward in her stilettos.

"After someone introduces themselves, normally it's considered polite to give your name as well, no?"

The young brunette rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly. "Elena Gilbert," she murmured, still a great deal surprised at seeing someone who closely resembles her. She glanced down the road, inwardly sighing in frustration as her father had yet to arrive; although she shared similar looks with Katherine, she still felt uneasy being around someone she didn't know. The sly smirk Katherine sported didn't help ease her gut instinct.

Elena watched nervously as Katherine approached her and had begun to slowly walk around her. "So, why are you out here all by your lonesome?"

"I was at a party earlier tonight; now I'm waiting for my parents to pick me up."

"Wouldn't it had been much safer to wait at the party for your parents, rather than outside at this time of night? I mean, who knows what wild animals are out here," Katherine mocked with fake concern.

"It's Mystic Falls," Elena retorted with a roll of her eyes. "Nothing bad ever happens around here."

As she once more took in Katherine's appearance, Elena was puzzled at how similar they both looked. "How do we look-alike?" she eagerly asked, causing to Katherine to groan. "Are we related in any way?"

Katherine suddenly stopped and stood next to the human so that they both were shoulder to shoulder. Her eyes were serious as she stared at Elena from their corner. "You ask too many questions."

Judging by Katherine's cold eyes, Elena knew she shouldn't push any further. She sighed, slightly shaking her head as she murmured, "So, what are you doing out here?"

"I was looking for my next meal," Katherine shrugged as she continued to circle her doppelganger.

Elena rolled her eyes. "What are you really doing out here?"

A few seconds had gone by with no response, and as Elena had begun to turn around she found herself staring at an empty space. Katherine was no longer there. Just then, a car horn pulled her attention away, but she quickly looked back only to be met with nothing once more. She shook her head and walked over to her parents vehicle wondering if her mind was playing tricks on her.

As the vehicle pulled away, Katherine reappeared in the same spot, watching as the car sped off into the night; her mind on edge with the recent discovery of her doppelganger. This changed everything. It would seem her old dreams of freedom were going to become a reality, after all.

The thought of her freedom was pushed aside as her ears picked up the sound of screeching tires and a loud crash, followed closely by a car hitting the water. Katherine ran over to the bridge just in time to see the car's tail lights begin to submerge.

'Wasn't that the same car Elena's parents picked her up in?' Her eyes narrowed at the sinking car. 'Just my luck, it is!' she groaned, slapping a hand on her forehead in irritation. 'I will not allow my only chance at attaining freedom to slip by!'

And with that Katherine dove into the river with a look of determination, and shortly resurfaced with an unconscious Elena draped over her shoulders.

While coughing out water aggressively, Elena looked up at her savior with half lidded eyes. She had to stop herself from gasping at the sight of Katherine's face looming over her. Their gazes locked, her innocent brown eyes searching the hardened dark depths of the familiar set of eyes and finding it hard to turn away. With effort, Elena directed her gaze to the river before passing out.

'Humans... such fragile things,' Katherine mused.

**Memory End**

* * *

Elena's eyes snapped open, all the while panting heavily as she awoken from having fallen asleep in the bathtub. She sat there stunned for a few moments, her mind trying to process what it was exactly that she had dreamed of... or if she could even call it a dream, for it seemed more like a memory of a past she thought she knew of. But apparently what she thought was truth was merely a false memory that had been placed on her by _her_ compulsion.

She brought her knees to her chest and held them, ignoring the slight pain she felt in her heart at the reminder of _her_. Oh, how she wanted nothing more than to track her down and demand to know why is it she had played with her memories. Though knowing Katherine she'd probably leave her with more questions rather than answer the ones she has for her.

Several minutes had gone by as Elena sat in the bathtub in silence, the water falling from the shower head being the only source of noise. She was desperately trying to understand why this memory had resurfaced now of all times; her mind just simply couldn't grasp the meaning behind it. It was puzzling, after all. Regardless of Katherine's reason for saving her she still did.

Sighing, Elena stretched, wincing slightly as she did so. It was frustrating, trying to erase Katherine from her mind. But every time her eyes closed she was reminded of how much a manipulative bitch her doppelganger was.

Thoughts of the Salvatore's crossed her mind, they too had suffered, furthermore reminding her of Katherine's selfishness. Reminding her of the compulsive liar and manipulator that was Katherine Pierce, a woman who would do anything if it meant achieving her goals. Even if it meant smothering Caroline with a pillow.

Elena groaned at the memory, then reached out for a towel and stepped out of the shower with it wrapped around her body. She stood before the restroom mirror but even there as she gazed at herself she was reminded of Katherine Pierce.


	2. The Cute One

The sun's morning rays beamed through the blinds and lit up the bedroom of Elena Gilbert. Sounds of birds chirping outside her window had awoken her from slumber. As the young brunette rose from the bed, she felt the sun's rays engulf her figure, bringing a much-welcomed warmth to a start of a new day.

She scrubbed a hand over her face, her exhaustion apparent for a moment as her forehead scrunched as if warding off a migraine. As Elena stood before her mirror, she blinked, and then a terrifying realization dawned on her when taking notice of the dark shade underneath her eyes, a reminder her body was still in the process of changing.

Her eyes snapped shut, forcing back the unwanted tears that had involuntary crawled their way into her eyes. Now wasn't the time for crying, she'd done enough of that last night as she had cried herself to sleep. In the end, it didn't matter anymore; she was dead... and it's time to accept it. What worried her was whether her brother would be willing to accept her as she was now. She sighed, shaking her head. No, Jeremy wouldn't want to have a vampire as a sister.

Pushing those thoughts aside, Elena dragged herself down the steps and headed into the kitchen where she proceeded to fill a bowl with cereal. The task proved to be quite difficult as Elena had felt the nagging pain in her head once more. She could only assume it had something to do with her mental state of transition. She groaned, pulling out a seat at the table, wondering where the hell her friends were.

Elena sat there awhile, picking at her now empty bowl as she vaguely recalled the strange dream she had during the night.

* * *

**Memory**

Elena sat on her front door steps, hugging her knees tightly, enjoying the calm silence the night was known for giving. Her eyes slightly widened as the moon's rays suddenly illuminated her front yard, bringing forth a shadow from a nearby tree. That, along with the occasional gusts of wind, made this a perfect scenery.

It was a beautiful night, that much was certain.

She closed her eyes and even though it pained her deep inside, she allowed an old memory to resurface. A memory of the time she and her mother would star gaze. It was one of the many mother-daughter bonding moments they'd shared, so she held onto it dearly, keeping it close to her heart.

Her fists clenched, trying to suppress the shudder that racked her body at the recall of that memory. Her parents had always been good to her, and with their deaths, a piece of her was also forever lost. It had taken several days, but she finally realized it was time to move on. She knew her parents wouldn't want her brooding over their deaths. After all, her little brother needed her now more than ever.

She shivered, tightening her hold on her blanket as another rush of wind hit her, only this time once the wind calmed down a faint clacking sound was heard as someone approached her. Her eyes snapped open. "Katherine," she murmured in surprise, scrambling to her feet. "What are you doing here?"

For a moment, Katherine didn't respond as she simply stood there. She had been watching her doppelganger for the past few days, ensuring the human girl didn't harm herself in any way. The call had already been made, she would have one of her compelled servants take care of things back home so she can stay and protect the girl. After all, Katherine had many enemies; she didn't need any of them mistaking the human for her.

Katherine rolled her eyes as Elena fidgeted. "I'm not gonna hurt you," she assured as she noticed the uncertainty in the human's eyes.

"Alright..." Elena hesitantly replied, though internally a sense of absolute relief washed over her. She sat back down, carefully observing the curly-haired brunette. "How do you know where I live?"

Katherine arched an eyebrow and gave a faint chuckle.

In response, Elena swallowed down a breath of air. Apparently, Katherine was a stalker. But Katherine did pull her out of a sinking vehicle. Elena's voice was soft, barely a whisper as she expressed her gratitude, "Thanks for saving me that night..."

Katherine tilted her head, inwardly laughing. The only reason she chose to save this pathetic human was for her own personal gain. All that was left to do was strike a deal with the mad hybrid. The problem was getting him to agree to her terms, but Katherine was quite certain she could persuade him. After all, the man was power hungry. And with human doppelganger blood he'd get his hybrid army and in the process solidify his status as the most feared supernatural creature in the world.

"W-what brings you here?" Elena suddenly asked, snapping the vampire out of her thoughts.

Katherine's eyes looked at her doppelganger, a narrowed gaze, looking her straight in the eyes. "I wanted to see you."

Elena's eyes widened; she'd knew it would come to this. "I understand," she murmured, closing her eyes. "Can you please make it quick."

The human's actions didn't make sense. Katherine stared, hoping to understand as she found herself slightly curious. "What the hell are you doing?"

With her eyes still closed, Elena continued, "The night my parents died, you said that you were looking for your next meal. You can eat me now or kill me first, then eat me."

Katherine rolled her eyes, but she couldn't help quirking an amused smile. "And you assume I eat people... because...?"

Elena opened her eyes slowly, not knowing how adorable and innocent she made herself out to be. She then looked cautiously at Katherine, remembering the scream of a man right before the moment Katherine appeared. She hadn't thought much of it since the car accident still plagued her, but the police did find a man's body in the same area where she spoke with Katherine; the body's neck had been torn open.

"I'm not gonna hurt you," Katherine groaned, hating having to repeat herself. But this did little convincing as Elena still kept a wary eye on her.

"Then why are you here?" Elena questioned, but the vampire remained silent as she glared straight ahead.

Elena sighed, running a hand through her hair. "Kath-"

"Stop talking," the vampire's voice cut through the air, harshly it sounded. Elena swallowed, her eyes drifting away. It didn't take a genius to realize Katherine had a very short temper, so Elena decided not to inquire any further. She looked up at the moon once more but glanced beside her every now and then.

"You're staring," Katherine stated as she looked to her side. Elena's cautious gaze seemed to falter, and she swallowed. She had been trying to get a read on Katherine's intentions, but apparently even failed at that.

"...Sorry," she murmured, playing with her hands.

Katherine sighed, knowing full well what her doppelganger had been trying to do; it wouldn't be the first time she was under scrutiny. But at the rate things were going Elena would always be doubtful of her. Katherine shook her head, having decided to ease up and act more friendly, this way it will make her job much easier; the human needed to be protected.

"I'm not a good person," she relented, capturing the human's interest as Elena shifted where she sat. Katherine's gaze locked onto her doppelgangers', her eyes softening as she forced a smirk. "I lie, cheat, and betray; all for the sake of my survival."

"But..." The human's eyebrows furrowed with how harsh Katherine was being on herself. Had Katherine actually forgotten she rescued her from a sinking car?

"But you saved me... That has to count for something, right?" Katherine dismissed the action with a wave of her hand.

"Does that earn me some points of possible redemption?"

Elena nodded. "It's a start."

Elena was on her feet the next moment, pulling Katherine towards the door to her home. Elena knew why Katherine had shown up. Katherine never had any intention of harming her, Katherine was just as curious about her as Elena was to her. But Katherine was just too damn stubborn to admit it.

"But we've only just met," Katherine teased, pulling her hand away, giggling as her doppelgangers' cheeks reddened slightly under the porch light. It was an amusing sight, very amusing to see how innocent she still was.

"I just thought... maybe you would want to watch a movie..."

"And what movie would that be?" Katherine prodded, a brow raising in question.

"I-I don't know..." Elena muttered, absentmindedly playing with her fingers.

Katherine rolled her eyes. "I'm only teasing." Though she said this, Elena knew it wasn't the entire truth.

"I can't come inside unless I'm invited in."

"And _why_ do you need an invitation?" Elena asked, somewhat curious. Katherine tilted her head, immediately her eyes slightly darkened, and her mouth slowly opened, revealing a pair of fangs to her now horror-struck doppelganger.

Elena swallowed and did her best to hide the fear her facial expression was giving. "You're a vampire..." she managed to deduce after an eerie silence. There was no mistaking it, standing right before her was a creature she'd only seen in movies or read about. She, like, the rest of the world had always been under the assumption that vampires weren't real. Then it hit her.

_I was looking for my next meal_

"You were really gonna drain me of my blood that night," she muttered, her heart racing. Katherine quirked a brow, her eyes once again finding the reality of the situation entertaining as she slightly nodded.

"Aren't you going to invite me in?" Katherine asked, a smirk playing about her lips. Elena merely fidgeted with her fingers, her mind still in a bit of shock as she continued to stare intently into Katherine's pitch-black eyes, wondering if they were as soulless as they appeared to be.

"Y-you can come in," she said and smiled in an effort to reassure herself that Katherine didn't mean any harm.

**Memory End**

* * *

An abrupt knock on her door pulled Elena from her thoughts.

"You've seen better days," Damon commented jokingly while letting himself inside. Stefan followed in close behind, but not before shooting Elena an apologetic look on his brother's behalf, which she gladly accepted.

"And you're always being rude," Elena retorted, her arms folded over her chest. "At least, Stefan has manners." Damon merely chuckled; he thought she looked cute whenever she pouted.

Stefan sighed. "I didn't bring you here so you can annoy her." Elena nodded in agreement as she watched Stefan stare at her with an expression of guilt. She wondered if he was blaming himself for her accident.

"I know, I know. I'm sorry, Elena, I've just been curious, that's all," Damon started, "Just how much were you compelled to forget?" he asked and immediately regretted it as Elena gave Stefan a look of betrayal.

"You told him?" she asked incredulously.

"Of course, he told me," Damon chuckled. "My brother and I may not always get along, but if there's one thing we do agree upon it's your safety. I like to think of it as a little pact of sorts," he shrugged.

"Aside from Damon being a dick, he does want what's best for you," Stefan begrudgingly agreed with his brother.

She relaxed, almost instantly upon hearing that. Having been so perturbed of her own impending transition, she failed to notice how worried Damon was for her. Her shoulders slumped in disgust with how oblivious she'd been. She could understand the amount of worry both of the brothers had for her.

"You're right, Damon. I'm sorry about keeping you in the dark," she murmured. "It's not that I didn't want you to know, it's just I didn't want you to worry over some memories that are returning to me. It's not like they're hurting me."

She gave him a smile, one that he knew was forced. But Damon nodded his head in understanding, a sad smile on his lips, knowing he could've started the conversation differently. When his brother told him of Elena's late-night call, Damon felt jealous that she'd called his brother rather than him.

"Do we even know who compelled her?" Damon abruptly asked, his eyes flickering between his brother and Elena. He caught a slight fidget from her, which raised the question, "You do know, don't you?" Stefan's eyes lit up, he was also curious about this when she told him during their call. He observed the brunette patiently, eager to find out what vampire has been compelling her memories away.

'Katherine wouldn't want me to say anything about our past encounters...' Elena thought, and instantly her eyes narrowed in confusion. 'Why am I trying to cover for Katherine?'

"Any day now," Damon groaned.

Elena shook her head, steadying herself before turning to Damon. She folded her arms over her chest, giving off a stubborn aura, determined to not give away the identity of the vampire. "I'm not gonna tell you or Stefan," she said, a fierce look in her eyes.

"What do you mean you're not gonna tell us?!" Damon retorted.

Stefan decided to intervene before things escalated. "They're her memories, Damon, if she wants to share them with us, we'll be here." He smiled in her direction. Elena was grateful for having a friend who is able to somewhat understand. Her lips curled up and she returned his smile.

The sound of Damon clearing his throat pulled them out of their stare. He looked at the young brunette, giving her a small smile as he tried to gather the courage to ask if she was ready to complete the transition. With a quick glance at his brother, he received a slight nod of the head, both curious of what her decision would be.

"When do you plan on completing the transition?" he asked, his voice filled with suppressed emotion.

Elena sighed heavily, sinking further back into her seat. She threw a quick look at Stefan and shook her head. "Look I'm sorry, but I've already accepted my death. You two are just going to have to accept that."

Damon straightened, eyes widened, looking at his brother and her for confirmation of what he thought he heard. "What?"

"I've accepted my death," she repeated.

"I'm sorry Elena but I will not accept this!" his voice raised, shoulders rising and falling. "After all, that you've been through, you deserve to live. And if you still refuse to complete the transition I'll just have to force human blood down your throat, Elena, because I'm that selfish!"

He watched as she shook in a fit of rage, and he didn't blame her. Mentally, he prepared himself for a slap but was surprised when Elena surged forward and wrapped her arms around him.

After a few seconds, Elena broke the embrace and cleared her throat. "I'm sorry Damon, but I am stubborn like that."

He snorted softly, a small grin stretching his lips. "Yeah. You are, aren't you?"

She shook her head and laughed a little.

* * *

"I can't believe this," Damon groaned as he and Stefan walked into their home. "Why would Elena not wanna complete the transition?"

Stefan patted his brother on the back. "I don't know her reason for wanting to go out like this, but the decision is entirely up to her and her alone." Damon scoffed and shrugged off his brother's hand, he knew his brother was right but it didn't mean he had to like it. He could only hope she'd come to her senses soon.

As the brothers entered their living room Damon's expression hardened as he took in the sight of someone's luggage in their home. "Brother, do my eyes deceive me or is someone's belongings right here in front of us?" He continued to survey the living room for anything out of the ordinary, and also listened in carefully for any noise from their unknown intruder.

"Looks like we have an unexpected visitor."

"More like a _dead_ unsuspecting visitor, brother," Damon retorted as he looked around, wondering who in their right mind would sneak into their home. He wouldn't have to guess long because of a few seconds later they were both greeted by a familiar husky voice.

"I see you've both returned."

The Salvatores share a look, both know Elena wouldn't use that specific tone of voice.

"Katherine," they said in unison.

At the mention of her name the curly haired brunette rounded the corner hallway with a mischievous glint in her eyes. "The cute one with the oh so lovely curls," she giggled as she slowly approached them. "Have you both missed me?" she inquired though she was certain of what their response would be.

"What are you doing here, Katherine?" Stefan asked, taking small, cautious steps towards her.

"You better have a good reason for being here Kitty Kat, or you're going to become very familiar with my new set of stakes," Damon warned with a wicked smirk etched onto his face. "I even had your initials engraved on one of them. You know... personal vendetta and all that good stuff," he winked.

Katherine would once more giggle at the hostility laced in his obvious threat; she had predicted this from him, but it was still so much amusing to hear it in person. "Can I not visit my favorite pair of brothers?"

The brothers in question share a look with one another, both agreeing with what needs to be done. "I'll go get the stakes," Damon groaned while running a hand through his hair in frustration.

Katherine raised a brow, amusement clearly seen in her doe eyes as she replied, "There's no need for that; I'll tell you why I'm here."

Damon walked over to his mini bar and poured himself a glass of bourbon. "By all means, don't stop on my account, sweetheart." He tossed the whiskey back and gulped it down, then slapped the glass on the bar before pouring himself another.

Katherine rolled her eyes before sending a flirtatious smile to the younger brother who simply narrowed his gaze at her. "As you both are aware by now, a certain Original holds a deep desire in attaining his own personal hybrid army. But in order for him to do so, he would require a large amount of doppelganger blood to perform the ritual."

Stefan approached the older vampire with obvious confusion. "Wait," he began but his brother ended up speaking for him.

"Where have you been, Kitty Kat? Haven't you heard? Klaus is no longer an issue; he's dead," Damon informed with his cocky smirk in place.

Katherine shook her head, wry and amused at the same time. "He's not dead," she revealed and pulled out a picture from the inside of her jacket and flung it towards him. He caught it and stared intently at it, mouth twisting into a scowl as the picture had been that of Klaus exiting a rather large house.

"That picture was taken a few days ago," Katherine said as she made her way over to him. "But of course this shouldn't really come off as such a surprise. I mean, Klaus is one of the most influential figures in the supernatural world, who no doubt has a few corrupt witches looking out for him."

"But..." Damon muttered, his hand clenching tightly onto the picture as he tried to grasp the gravity of the situation. "...How? I _saw_ the stake pierce his heart... and the fire that consumed him afterward?"

Katherine rolled her eyes at having to repeat herself. "Witches! I'm sure he has a few working for him," she hissed and took the picture out from his hand.

"Then where is he?!" Damon snapped, furious with this revelation.

"If I knew I would gladly tell you," Katherine retorted as she walked over to Stefan and handed him the picture so that he may see for himself. "It turns out he was simply visiting an old friend at this house, who also happens to be a very old vampire."

Stefan narrowed his eyes at the picture, becoming increasingly more suspicious of the brunette's motives. Memories of the past didn't do her any good; her reputation of using others to get what she wanted was quite known. "And we're just to assume that you're telling us out of the goodness of your heart?"

"What heart Stefan?" Katherine smiled at him and reached out grabbed his chin. "You shouldn't worry so much for I have a plan... a plan that involves a certain doctor in Mystic Falls who is currently working on a way to synthesize my blood."

"And how would that help us?"

"Doppelganger blood is rare and unique within the supernatural community," she started. "Our very blood just so happens to be the key to unlocking the shackles that prevent him from creating his hybrid army."

"And you want to give him some?!" Damon shouted.

Katherine sighed heavily before facing him. "He's not coming after me anytime soon... because the ritual requires that of a _human_ doppelganger," she revealed, shocking both of the brothers greatly. "Besides, if this works, you'll never have to worry about Klaus setting his sights on your precious Elena again."

Stefan immediately nodded his head. "You can stay." Of course, he'd do anything if it meant Elena's safety.

"You can't be serious?!" Damon snapped at his brother.

Stefan sighed, knowing Damon had good reason to be against it. "It's just for a few days." He looked over at the brunette. "Right?"

Katherine sent a wink and an appreciative smile at the younger Salvatore. "But of course, Stefan. I'm sure after this is all said and done, we can all become friends again," she said, giving a smirk in Damon's direction.

"No! The last thing we need is to deal with this slut and the problems she brings!" he hissed. "We've had enough problems these last couple of weeks as it is!"

Katherine pouted, her eyes showing a hint of amusement. "Ouch," she feigned being hurt. "I see you _still_ don't know how to speak to a lady."

"But I do, Kitty Kat. There just aren't any ladies present within my home at the moment."

She growled, her cheeks slightly flushed. "What the hell is your problem with me, Mr. Salvatore? Or is this still about the unrequited love that's gone on between us for quite some time?"

He huffed a dry laugh, his anger quickly becoming harder to suppress. "_Mr._ Salvatore is dead, and I don't need you killing people in _my_ town." Katherine had made to reply, but Damon continued, "You have a habit of killing your love pawns, don't deny it."

"I won't," Katherine shrugged. "It's a privilege to die by my hands."

"Cocky much?"

"You're asking me?"

"Enough, Damon, Katherine..." Stefan said, breaking the soon to be argument off between the two. "Katherine you can use the upstairs guest bedroom," he said, and she nodded while going over to pick up her bags.

"Well I'm off to bed, you are more than welcomed to join me, _Stefan,_" she teased and began walking to her room.

"Katherine," Stefan called out, causing her to pause. "What's the doctor's name that's helping you re-create your blood?"

Without fully turning around, Katherine glanced over her shoulder. "Meredith Fell..."


	3. Confrontation

Damon sat on the couch by the fireplace with a glass of bourbon in his hands, his eyes gazing intently at the shadows moving around the room; they were of dancing flames. His mind had been plagued with Elena's decision in embracing her death. He was aware this whole ordeal was hard on her, and that she had given much thought in deciding her next course of action. But he never imagined she would choose this option; the easy way out.

He didn't blame her, though; waking up after an unfortunate accident only to discover she didn't survive the crash was a lot to take in. But there was still a part of him that hoped she would call to inform him that she'd changed her mind, and she had come to her senses. After all, who wouldn't want to stay young and experience the beauty of eternity?

He shook his head and sighed, then proceeded to down what remained of his bourbon.

He questioned if his brother was in the right state-of-mind when allowing the woman who single-handedly ruined their lives stay within the confines of their home. Did Katherine honestly believe she could fool him just as she deceived his naive brother?

In truth, Damon didn't know what Katherine wanted but was certain nothing good would come of it. Speaking of the woman, he watched as she wandered into the living room, giving him a smile that he knew was fake. He inwardly sighed, not wanting to deal with her.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Katherine voiced, circling the chair he sat in until she was directly behind it. But he remained silent, keeping his attention on the small fire before him. Katherine raised an eyebrow, then wrapped her arms around his neck as she whispered into his ear,

"Wanna have some fun?"

He narrowed his eyes as his hands clenched the couch's armrest. It took much restraint as he inwardly struggled with the strong urge to drive a stake through the bitch's heart. But quickly reminded himself that Katherine was needed for the time being.

Grunting in annoyance, he released himself from her arms and sped over to his mini bar where he proceeded to refill his glass of whiskey.

"And here I thought you might have missed me," Katherine pouted, but Damon was able to see right through her act. He just grinned before glancing over his shoulder.

"Don't pout, Katherine, it doesn't look cute on a woman your age."

Katherine gritted her teeth, outwardly flustered at his jab at her age; he was _not_ acting like the Damon she had come to know. It left her wondering if the rumors she has been hearing over the last few months were, in fact, true. She had to be sure.

"I remember a time when you used to shower me with nothing but adoration. Where has that Damon gone?"

"Oh that Damon died a long time ago," he grinned, brought the glass up to his lips and took a sip. "There was a time when I would've done anything for your attention, but now I can safely say I'm over you."

Katherine seemed taken aback for a second, but quickly recovered. "I'm sure we can get reacquainted," she purred, sauntering towards him until he held out his hand, causing her to pause in her steps as he growled out,

"Were you not paying attention? I'm _over_ you."

Rolling her eyes at his statement, Katherine tilted her head and a dangerous smile flickered across her face. "Oh, so then what's this I hear about you obsessing over my doppelganger?" she asked, nibbling on her index finger. "Couldn't have my heart so you set your sights on my look-alike?"

He simply glared, try as she might, he wouldn't let her get to him.

"So how is that working out for you?" she pushed, stifling a laugh as a low growl escaped from the back of his throat, indicating he was very angry.

"That's right!" Katherine placed a hand on her hip. "Elena isn't aware of how madly in love with her you are." She twirled a loose curl, loving the pain written over his face.

"It's actually a good thing you haven't told Elena of your feelings because we both know she would never acknowledge them," Katherine sneered. "But still, it must suck having to see her every day, and watch as she goes on with her life completely unaware of just how strong your feelings for her are. I believe the kids these days call it 'friend-zoned'?"

Katherine could only look on in amusement, well aware he was trying to contain his anger. "My sweet little doppelganger has always been naive when it came to what others were feeling," Katherine hinted with a small smirk. "Perhaps I should give her a few pointers when it comes to-"

"I swear if you even think of touching Elena-" Damon started, but was shocked when his words elicited a chuckle from the curly-haired woman, who closed her eyes for a moment and began smirking in a cocky fashion as she typically did when she knew something the other didn't.

"You catch on quickly. Clearly observation is your strong suit," she jeered over from the couch, her face amused and her eyes gleaming. "Now you were saying? You'll do what Damon?" she pressed.

"Simple. I kill you," he answered as if it were common sense.

Katherine seemed unfazed at his words. In fact, she seemed a bit bored or tired of hearing such a thing given that her amused expression lessened slightly and her eyes slightly dropped.

With a sigh, she rolled her eyes. She expected so much more from him.

"As much as I would like to stay and keep you company, I have an errand to run."

* * *

Katherine reached her destination - the hospital, the only place in this boring small town where she needed to be. Rolling her eyes, she stepped onto the mat and watched patiently as the door slid open, drawing the attention of a lady sitting behind a counter in the front lobby.

"Ms. Gilbert? What brings you here?"

Katherine rolled her eyes and clucked her tongue in annoyance. In the blink of an eye, she was compelling the woman on the whereabouts of Meredith Fell. Having received the room number she needed, Katherine sped off and soon found herself staring across a lab, frowning when she saw Meredith tapping away at one of the computers. "There you are."

At the sound of Katherine's voice, Meredith jumped in surprise as she quickly whirled around in her seat. "I-I wasn't expecting you so soon," she said, clasping her hands together and forcefully smiling. Katherine stayed over by the door as she adopted an unreadable look, but inside she was seething with intense anger.

"So..." Meredith started somewhat apprehensively, aware she was conversing with someone who was unpredictable. "To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?" she inquired though she already knew why the brunette was there.

"I haven't heard from you in days, so I thought I'd check up on you," Katherine retorted as she played with her fingernails, but kept her gaze set on the doctor. "After all, can't have anyone jeopardizing my plans for freedom, now can I?"

"Of course, but you should know..." Meredith trailed off, and there was something in her voice that made the vampire stiffen.

"What?" Katherine demanded with narrowed eyes, and Meredith gulped, trying to suppress the shivers that threatened to erupt.

"I-I think you should take a look into the microscope." Her hand gestured to said object, which was on the table near the vampire. Katherine warily peeked into it.

"What are those red things?"

"Artificial red blood cells," Meredith answered and further elaborated, but Katherine stopped listening halfway through as a ghost of a smile made its way onto her face, for her dreams of freedom were quickly becoming a reality. Katherine was aware if the long process of blood synthesizing did work, she would finally be able to attain the freedom she felt she so rightfully deserved.

"As you can see Katherine, your blood does possess some form of unique powers; I've even saved some lives with it," Meredith stated proudly, breaking the vampire out of her train of thought.

Katherine slowly backed away from the microscope, her ears were not believing what she had just heard. "Let me get this straight," she began. Meredith's gaze slid to the side where Katherine was standing, the vampire's head was angled in a way that hid her expression from her. "You've been using the blood I sent you, to save people?"

"K-Katherine, understand," Meredith pleaded as she took small steps back, aware of her short temper. "Vampire blood does wonders, and its healing capabilities are extraordinary. I _know_ this could be the beginning of a new era of medical science," she reasoned, but her words meant nothing to Katherine as Katherine ambled towards her with a scowl.

"Did you even bother doing what I asked of you?"

"Of course, I tried," Meredith exclaimed, fidgeting with her fingers nervously. "But I needed a sample of your blood from when you were alive. And even if I did have your human blood, there's no guarantee it would work," she informed, and then quickly ducked when a chair flew over her head.

"This can't be happening!" Katherine shouted, stomping her foot on the ground as her longtime dream of attaining freedom had just been shattered. Small movement suddenly grabbed Katherine's attention as Meredith slightly shook where she stood, and for good reason.

"You _knew_ from the start my blood wasn't going to work, didn't you?" Katherine accused. "Instead, you've been using my blood to save pathetic humans."

Meredith flipped over a nearby desk and bolted for the door, but much to her horror found Katherine already there, staring back at her with darkened eyes. The vampire tilted her head, an intimidating smirk playing on her lips as she wagged a finger.

"Going somewhere?" she sneered, and then abruptly threw Meredith against the wall. Seeing no other option, Meredith held her hands up in a last defense plea.

"K-Katherine, I beg of you, I did it for the sake of my research. It's as I said before, this could be the start of a new age for humans. Vampire blood is remarkable, it could very well be the cure for cancer!"

"I don't care about your research," Katherine retorted as she slowly made her way over to Meredith. "I also don't care about the possibility of vampire blood being the cure for cancer," she snarled and knelt next to the doctor so that they were eye level. Meredith's heart rate increased, pleasing the vampire as Katherine reached out and raised her chin.

"And unless my blood is being used to help save _my life_, then I most definitely don't care about saving lives with my blood!" With minor effort, Katherine forced Meredith's chin to the side, snapping her neck.

* * *

**Memory**

_Dear Diary,_

_I know I said I was going to try and move on from the loss of my parents, but it's so hard! Especially with all the looks, people are giving me, looks of pity. I've already lost track of how many times I had to reassure people that I'm okay, even if it was furthest from the truth. My brother won't even speak to me, says if I hadn't gone to the party our parents would still be alive. It hurt to hear him say that, but he's right. It is my fault. If only I had just stayed home..._

A soft breeze made her curtains flutter, surprising her as she was certain she had the window down. That's when it hit her- a faint familiar perfume reached her nose, bringing a broad smile to her lips.

"I should have known," Elena giggled at her desk; her back to the bed. "You are the only one who comes in through my window." Elena looked over her shoulder to see Katherine sitting on her bed, one leg crossed over the other.

"Miss me already?" Katherine arched an eyebrow, and Elena slightly nodded. She had been coming here every other day, doing routine checkups on how her doppelganger is dealing with the loss of her parents.

"Wanna watch a movie?" Elena raised an eyebrow, and then suddenly wagged them up and down, eliciting a familiar giggle from Katherine. It _still_ amazed Elena how similar they were. Even though Katherine has been coming over every other day, Elena felt this was something she was never going to get used to.

Katherine was about to decline, but after a brief stare at her cheerful doppelganger she begrudgingly agreed to watch a movie. If it took Elena's mind off of the death of her parents then Katherine couldn't see any reason to refuse the offer. She needed the human to be happy, she wanted for her doppelganger to move on. With her freedom so close Katherine didn't want to take any chances of the human harming herself.

"What movie?" Elena eagerly asked.

Katherine hummed, stood up from the bed, and tapped her forefinger on her chin like she was genuinely thinking. "I'm not feeling picky at the moment; you choose." Elena was more than happy to as she pulled on Katherine's hand, leading them down the stairs and into her living room where she began pulling out one movie after another, annoying Katherine in the process.

Much to Katherine's dismay, they sat on the couch watching two movies back to back, but she wasn't really paying attention to the movie. What caught her attention, though, was the fact her doppelganger kept sneaking glances at her. That wasn't what amused Katherine though, it was the faint blush on Elena's cheeks.

"See something you like?" Katherine bit her lip, resisting the urge to laugh as her doppelgangers' mouth opened and closed, unable to respond. Katherine couldn't really blame the human for staring, many people did, for her natural beauty was a sight to behold. But it did arouse her curiosity as to if her doppelganger realized she was checking her out.

Katherine's eyes glinted with amusement, and as soon as she was about to question her doppelganger, Elena's cell phone vibrated. Rolling her eyes in annoyance, she listened in as her doppelganger spoke on the phone.

"I understand. Thank you." Elena ended the call and sighed. She looked over at Katherine and forcefully smirked. "I-I have to go pick up my brother from the police station."

Katherine pursed her lips while playing with her nails. "Jer Bear in trouble?"

Elena slightly nodded, running a hand through her hair. Her brother had gotten mixed up with the wrong kind of people, and is now sitting in jail until the drugs he took wear off. It hurt Elena that this was happening to her brother, and she still felt at fault for this abrupt change in his life.

"He's in jail, and it's my fault," she muttered.

Katherine inwardly groaned but forced a smile as she tried to cheer up her doppelganger. "It is not your fault," Katherine scolded. "Your brother made the wrong choices, not you." Elena glanced beside her, eyes wide.

"But-"

"Accidents happen all the time," Katherine interrupted. "All you could do is hope for the best. And because you both are siblings, you shouldn't be fighting like this when this is the time to mourn together."

The words had left Katherine's mouth before she even realized what she had just said. So imagine her shock as her doppelganger suddenly gave her a tight hug, leaving her gasping for air.

**Memory End**

* * *

Later that day, Elena sighed to herself, her mind had felt all over the place and she repeatedly asked herself if she were making the right decision. It didn't help that throughout the day, memories of her and Katherine's past friendship had seemed to have taken its toll and piqued her interest.

Naturally, it worried her. The Katherine she saw in her memories seemed like a different person from the bitchy one she'd met two years ago. During that period of her life, there was no drama, Katherine had always been good to her, though a little rough at times, but that was Katherine, it defined her mischievous personality.

However... she was still confused. In her most recent memory, Katherine apparently left her because the Salvatore's had returned to Mystic Falls, but then she came back with the purpose of trading her over to Klaus? Had Katherine forgotten all the times they'd spent with one another?

Just thinking of Katherine elicited a large amount of irritation. But, oddly at the same time, she felt a _strange desire_ to be by Katherine's side. The only plausible excuse that seemed reasonable was because she wanted answers, answers that only her doppelganger has.

Shaking her head, she sighed. Either way, she would never know. If the elusive Katherine Pierce didn't want to be found, she wouldn't.

Knowing her time was drawing near, Elena quickly got dressed. She had officially made up her mind and decided it'd be best if she died. But she realized she has yet, to say goodbye. While she was tempted to pick up the phone and call the Salvatore's, she decided against it. They deserved better than a phone call.

* * *

Stefan walked into the cellar and saw Damon picking out a new bottle of whiskey. He frowned, not liking to see his brother like this, hiding the pain with alcohol. Sooner or later he knew Damon was going to have to let out all his pent-up stress.

He just hoped it wouldn't be on innocent lives.

"Have you seen Katherine?" Stefan asked. When returning home, he noticed she wasn't here to greet him or try and flirt with him. He was used to this, though.

Damon was reading the label on one of the whiskey bottles but manages to point one of his fingers upward. "She's upstairs in the guest bedroom sleeping."

"That's odd, don't you think?" Stefan was surprised, Katherine is actually quiet and not complaining, for once.

"Katherine - not whining or bitching - doesn't matter to me, as long as she doesn't over-step any boundaries," Damon replied with a small smirk etched on his face, afterward bringing his attention back to the bottle in his hand.

Stefan watched his brother intently, and it pained him to see Damon hiding the hurt of possibly losing Elena. Of course, Stefan was hurt as well, but he always respected her decisions. And having Katherine within the confines of their home, didn't make things easier for his older brother.

"Let's go see her."

Damon glanced over at his brother, his eyebrow raised. Of course, he knew who Stefan was referring to. With a quick nod, both brothers sped out of the house on their way over to Elena's.

* * *

Elena sighed, her hands slightly shaking as she stepped passed the threshold of the Boarding House, nervous of the Salvatore's reactions when discovering she was really going to go through with this.

Her eyes scanned the living room, immediately becoming aware that they were not within the premises, for if they were, they would have greeted her as soon as she came through their front door. But still, she called out their names, "Stefan!" she shouted. "Damon?"

It was silent for a moment before she spoke up again. "Is anyone here?"

Elena frowned, running a hand through her hair as her eyes drifted around the living room, wondering where they could possibly be. It was then her enhanced hearing picked up what appeared to be soft snores coming from one of the guest bedrooms, and grimaced at the thought of Damon bringing home one of his lady friends.

As Elena entered the hallway she noticed a black leather jacket laid out across a chair. The jacket in itself wasn't what surprised her, it was who she remembered seeing it on. Sure, Damon also wore a leather jacket, but this one was small in size and had a familiar perfume scent coated around it.

"It...It can't be..." she muttered, but with another close look her mind registered who it belonged to.

She took a deep breath and let it out through her nose before glancing around the dim hallway; the boarding house often gave off a certain vibe, and although she'd been here so many times, it still made her feel uncomfortable. With those thoughts aside, Elena soon found herself staring at a doorknob as a wave of uncertainty washed over her once more.

Upon opening the door, she leaned on the door frame. Her suspicions were correct; Katherine is back, she was certain it was her for the messy curly hair all over the beds pillows.

The vampire groaned and leaned over, resting her head on a pillow. "It's rude to stare." Katherine's eyes snapped opened when she didn't get a response. She propped herself up on her elbows taking in the unexpected visitor. "Well, if it isn't little Miss perfect," she growled out in annoyance from being awoken by her foolish doppelganger. "What is it that you want?"

In response, Elena made her way over to the bedside and laid a resounding smack across the unsuspecting brunette's face, which only served to further irritate the older vampire.

Katherine quickly rose from the bed and stood before her doppelganger, glaring at her as she wondered if the little girl had finally lost her damn mind. "What the hell was that f-" Elena interrupted her with another slap. Having enough of this, Katherine grabbed her doppelganger by the throat, lifting her up till her feet dangled several feet off the ground.

"I don't know what's gotten into you but that was a very stupid thing to do," Katherine snarled, tightening her grasp on Elena's throat, watching in delight as her doppelganger struggled under her firm grip.

Elena, although having trouble breathing, managed to look down at Katherine with hate. "Go ahead," she started, "I'm already dead."

Katherine, taken aback by the confession, released her throat, dropping her to the floor. "What the hell are you talking about?"

While on the floor, the young brunette continued to look at Katherine with hate. "One of the highlights of my transition," Elena began as she got up and stood before Katherine, "Is I remember things I was compelled to forget as a human." Angry tears began falling from her eyes. "I remember us!"


	4. A Transition to Remember

Katherine stood frozen in place as she stared at Elena with a blank expression though internally she was astounded that her doppelganger had somehow gotten herself killed. She had always been under the assumption the Salvatore brothers and her friends would always be there to shield her from harm, but obviously, according from her doppelganger her life had already come to an abrupt end.

Katherine wasn't sure on how to respond to this unforeseen turn of events, but it did little to nothing from preventing her from outright smirking, as she had found her doppelgangers' current predicament rather amusing. The brat and her two guard dogs had ruined her well-thought-out plan before - on several occasions to be precise - so Katherine decided she would continue to relish in this moment. It was astonishing, after all, that someone managed to end her doppelgangers' life, especially considering how overly protective her two puppies are.

"Aren't you going, to say anything?" Elena cautiously asked after a short moment, as she was slightly unnerved with the sudden smirk that appeared on Katherine. But her question seemed to have been ignored as Katherine placed a hand on her hip and continued to stare at her. This action annoyed Elena, for she felt Katherine wasn't taking her seriously; she still needed some answers.

Before Elena could stop herself, her hand abruptly reached out and slapped Katherine across the face. The sudden action surprised Elena more than anything, she hadn't meant to do it, but Katherine's lack of response was really getting to her.

As she focused on Katherine, Elena noticed her signature smirk was no longer there but was now replaced with a scowl and a pair of cold eyes staring intently at her. Elena gulped as she realized her mistake, and had begun to inch closer to the door.

"You're leaving?" Katherine voiced, and her doppelganger paused in her steps.

"Are you going to tell me why I keep having dreams about you?" Elena retorted, but then realized her choice of words as the other brunette giggled.

"Dreams of me? Oh, do tell what happens in these dreams of yours!"

Elena chewed the inside of her lip, swallowing hard. "They seem like memories," she blurted, "but I'm not entirely sure."

Katherine walked a few steps towards her. "You're right. They aren't dreams, more like old memories. But unfortunately for you I'm not in the mood to discuss them, not after you planted a slap across this gorgeous face," she smirked.

Despite the voice screaming in her mind telling her not to do it, Elena angrily pushed Katherine, causing her to stumble backward, but Katherine was quick to regain her footing as she already had her doppelganger pinned against the door.

"That's the fourth time you've laid a hand on me in five minutes," Katherine stated and rolled her eyes as her doppelganger was really trying her patience. "Go home." And with that Katherine released her doppelganger, even going as far as opening her bedroom door for her.

Wiping away the tears that had welled up and begun to trickle down her cheeks, Elena stubbornly stood her ground, shaking her head defiantly. "No. What was your reason for being in Mystic Falls?"

Katherine slightly tilted her head. "You are well aware of my reason for returning to this boring small town," she replied and watched as her doppelganger looked away from her.

"That's right; you were gonna offer me over to Klaus as a blood donor in exchange for his pardon," Elena remembered, her heart feeling like it had been stabbed for some reason.

"I was," Katherine agreed, annoyed. "Look I don't expect for you to understand why I do the things I do, but know I had no choice but to compel your memories away."

"Everyone has a choice," Elena retorted, glaring fiercely. "You just made the wrong one."

Katherine paused and thought about it a few seconds. "I didn't," she argued, walking over to her bed and falling back freely onto the mattress. "Klaus has eyes and ears everywhere, the last thing we needed was to be discovered by any of his lackeys; you knowing about me put you and your family at risk."

Elena gasped as she slowly begun to understand what Katherine had done, and couldn't help but smile. "It's a good thing he's dead now."

Katherine raised an eyebrow. "He's not, and that's why I'm back in Mystic Falls."

"I was told he died?"

"Enough," the warning in Katherine's voice was clear. "You're just gonna doubt me like the Salvatore's, aren't you?" Elena sighed and looked around the bedroom, she had no reason to believe Bonnie would lie to her about such a thing.

Elena fixated her attention back to Katherine, she then suddenly coughed, and then another came. She had fallen onto her knees, panting heavily as her body felt strangely exhausted. She went to stand up, but a sudden dizziness came over her. She wobbled on her spot, feeling someone grab her shoulders to keep her steady. She lifted her head up and looked into the eyes that were so similar to her own.

"What's wrong with you?"

"I-I don't know," Elena panted, holding Katherine's shoulders to keep herself from falling again. But fortunately for her, Katherine knew exactly what was going on, it was one of her perks of living for over five hundred years - you get to see, hear or experience things of the supernatural world.

"You have yet to complete the transition," Katherine groaned, carefully walking her doppelganger over to the bed and lying her down. It was then a small line of blood had begun to trickle down Elena's nose and following soon after more blood escaping the corners of her lips, causing Katherine to inwardly panic.

"Where are you?" she hissed into her cell phone.

Damon groaned at her voice; he knew it wasn't Elena's. "I'm busy."

Katherine rolled her eyes before glancing over at the bed as her doppelganger once more broke into a coughing fit. "Well you might wanna make some time; Elena's here at the Boarding House, and her body is in the process of shutting down, for she has yet to complete her vampiric transition that you and Stefan just so happened to forget to tell me about."

"What?!" Damon roared, discontent with Elena's decision. "I thought she would've chosen to continue living!"

"Stop talking and listen! I need you to bring some human blood so she can drink, and hurry, she is literally dying!"

* * *

Disbelief had been the look plastered on Damon's face at the scene before him; Elena, whose clothing was stained with blood, lay on a bed with Katherine's hand intertwined with hers. Elena was a stubborn girl, he loathed to admit. Knowing that this could have been avoided had only she completed the transition when he first asked.

He clenched his fists as he looked intently at Katherine, frustrated and annoyed that Elena happened to be alone with her. He might not know exactly what transpired in the room, but had a good feeling Katherine was somehow involved.

"Damon!" Stefan shouted breaking him out of his trance.

Growling, Damon sped towards the transitioning vampire with a blood bag in hand. He attempted to pour some in her mouth, but Elena saw this coming and closed her mouth, surprising Katherine. It was obvious Elena didn't want to complete the transition.

"Drink," Damon said, once more putting the blood bag near her lips.

Elena weakly shook her head, determined to keep to her word. "I want to die."

"Just feed," Damon groaned, slowly losing his patience. He was close to just forcing the blood down her throat if it meant she would continue to live.

"No."

Damon turned his head towards his brother, eyes narrowed. "Stefan, back me up!" he snapped; his brother simply standing there angered him.

"There's nothing I can do!" Stefan snapped. "It's her choice."

Katherine, who had been silently watching the exchange, chuckled, bringing everyone's attention to her. She bit her bottom lip in mild amusement. "Stubbornness... a Petrova trait I see you inherited." Elena didn't respond, she simply smiled at Katherine, much to the shock of the Salvatore brothers.

"I think I'm gonna be sick," Damon uttered in distaste, prompting the room's other occupants to glare at him.

Katherine huffed, already annoyed. She snatched the blood bag from Damon. "Just complete the transition so you can stop making these two worry," she said, gesturing to the Salvatore's, who were shocked at the sincerity in her voice. It only served to add to their much-overloaded confusion.

"I want-" Elena hesitated, but her mouth snapped shut as Katherine narrowed her eyes. "Okay," she relented, and finally accepted the blood that was needed to complete her transition. She then had quietly fallen asleep in Katherine's arms, leaving Katherine alone with a set of glares focused on her.

"Mind telling me what the hell Elena was doing in YOUR room?!"

"Do YOU mind telling me how she died?!" Katherine retorted.

Damon huffed a dry laugh, sauntering forward with an intimidating stare. "Don't think for a second that you're leaving this house alive..."

His words had shocked Katherine, but not from his threat. "You...you think I did this to her?"

"Clearly," Damon responded. "You're covered in her blood!" Before Katherine could react, he snapped her neck. The last thing she saw was Elena fast asleep in her arms.

* * *

Elena groaned as she shifted in bed; her head was thumping, her body was sore, but she felt perfectly comfortable under the warm blanket. There were quiet murmurs going on outside the bedroom, and at first, Elena just wanted for them to stop, but then suddenly remembered where she was.

"You didn't have to snap Katherine's neck," Stefan argued with his brother, causing Elena to quickly sit up from the bed as she tried to listen in.

"It's Katherine," Damon shrugged. "You can't believe anything that comes out of her mouth."

"But if Katherine hadn't called us, Elena would've died," Stefan pointed out, further irritating his brother.

"It was an act, Stefan," Damon reminded. "It's obvious Katherine only wants Elena alive to further her own twisted goals; she's a monster."

Leaning against a wall, Stefan shook his head. "And you weren't? Because I seem to recall how murderous you were when you arrived, but then you met Elena and after some time began to soften up."

Damon arched an amused eyebrow. "Are you suggesting Katherine actually has some redeeming qualities?" Stefan nodded. "I don't buy it, brother. Now if you would excuse me, I could use a fresh _drink_." He gave a wink before heading for the door.

"You're making a mistake," Stefan tried once more to reason with his brother. "What if Katherine doesn't have any ulterior motives?"

Damon looked over his shoulder; his expression curious. "Have you really forgotten what kind of woman Katherine is?"

Stefan sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I haven't forgotten," he assured, "but something about her seemed different." Damon looked at Stefan in disbelief, briefly wondering if his brother was compelled for defending the she-devil.

"Look, Stefan, as far as I'm concerned, Katherine can decay and mummify in our cellar forever."

Inside the bedroom, Elena sighed to herself as Damon's words replayed in her mind. She didn't blame him for acting out the way he did, for Elena knew his heart was in the right place; he just wanted to protect her from someone he considered a threat to her safety. But she still felt worried and uneasy, Katherine didn't deserve to be in that place, she was only trying to help.

Gazing downward at her clenched fists, Elena's eyes narrowed as a strong desire erupted within her, somewhat compelling her to save someone she never thought she would.

Damon chuckled, grabbing Stefan's attention, and both turn to see an angry Elena glaring at them. "Good to see you're-"

"Shut up!" Elena interrupted, effectively silencing Damon with the violent shout. "Stefan, where is she?!"

"We have her in the cellar," Stefan revealed, reaching out and stroking her cheek - he was happy Elena survived.

"Why?!" she snapped, slapping his hand away from her face. "Katherine was trying to help me!"

Damon sighed. "It's just for now. I'll release her later," he assured her.

Elena stood up straighter, arms crossed over her chest, determination written in her posture. "No. Release her now," she demanded.

"Have you lost your mind?!" Damon hissed, not liking her attitude. "We don't know what her true intentions are!"

He then watched her intently, desperately trying to understand why she wants to help Katherine out of her situation. Had Elena forgotten what kind of vampire Katherine really was?

"Oh, my god, just release her," she groaned.

"She's too dangerous to be allowed to roam free," Damon tried to reason.

Before either of them could react, Katherine appeared and snapped both of the Salvatore's necks; Katherine's pleased expression didn't go unnoticed as Elena instinctively put distance between them, fearing she would be next.

But this wasn't the case as Katherine slightly tilted her head in Elena's direction and grinned. "I do recall telling them I've built up an immunity to vervain," she shrugged in girlish fashion. "But like anyone ever listens to little ol' me." She then chuckled at the still form of her doppelganger, whose mind seemed to be elsewhere.

"Oh my, someone's deep in thought." Elena shook her head, letting out a breath she hadn't known she'd been holding and smiled at Katherine; she felt strangely happy to see Katherine wasn't harmed in any way.

"Hey, can we talk?" Elena had not waited for Katherine to reply as she continued, "What am I to you?"

The question had been simple, and yet Katherine simply stared, occasionally blinking at the unexpectedness of it. She pondered the last time she'd asked herself that, and if her memory served correctly the last time she did had been the night her doppelganger had invited her into her home.

"What am I to you?" Elena asked once more. Her voice never stopped being pleasant, but the gleam in her eyes got steadily more dangerous as Elena found herself wanting an honest answer.

Katherine raised a brow, slightly miffed at being rushed to answer such a question; though she already had the answer to it. But whether her doppelganger would forgive her past transgressions, she didn't know.

"What does it matter," she groaned, stepping past her doppelganger. Determined to get answers, Elena followed her.

"I want to know," she pressed, tapping her foot against the floorboard, awaiting a response.

Katherine rolled her eyes. "You're my doppelganger, nothing more," she said, pouring herself a glass of whiskey and plopping down on the couch.

"So there's nothing left between us?"

"There never was to begin with," Katherine replied; her face calm and impassive. Elena shook her head, not believing Katherine for a second. She may have been on the brink of death, but she still overheard Katherine's distressed phone call with the Salvatore's.

"You could of let me die," Elena pointed out as she approached her, "but you didn't."

Abruptly, Katherine stood and was in her doppelgangers' face. "And now I'm beginning to regret that decision."

Elena stood her ground, all the while going against her gut instinct as she continued, "Then why did you save me to begin with?" Instead of responding, Katherine simply turned on her heels.

"Real mature, Katherine," Elena exclaimed with a sigh, only for her eyes to widen as she was thrown onto the couch, Katherine's face hovering over hers.

"My my, aren't you just filled with questions today," Katherine sneered, lifting her doppelgangers' chin with her fingers. Elena stared back, determined to get answers.

"Why are you back in Mystic Falls?" she hesitantly asked.

Katherine cocked her head. "I was visiting Meredith fell, who was supposed to be trying to figure out a way to re-create my blood." Elena was stunned, surprised Katherine actually revealed that piece of information to her.

"I had a plan B," Katherine continued, "but that's also not gonna work since you're now a vampire," she said, watching as her doppelganger shot her an unreadable look.

"You were gonna drain me of my blood? That was your plan... again?" She stared at Katherine with a blank expression, making no attempt to show the betrayal she strangely felt.

"Better you die, then I"

"I hate you," Elena blurted out, trying to ignore the pain gathering in her chest.

"The feelings mutual," Katherine hissed, slightly tugging at Elena's hair. "Love me or hate me, both are in my favor."

* * *

Sounds of numerous twigs breaking could be heard as Elena trotted through the nearby woods following Katherine. She couldn't ignore the uneasy feeling in her gut, afraid of the thought that she was being led out here to be killed; for they were surrounded by nature, and she was with someone who had made it clear that she was a nuisance in the past.

"Would you wait up?" Elena murmured but received nothing but silence as Katherine continued to walk briskly through the woods. Elena rolled her eyes and grumbled beneath her breath.

A few minutes later, Elena found herself in an area that seemed familiar to her, but she couldn't quite place the memory. She tilted her head and blinked before her doe eyes took in the woods around her with wary curiosity.

"Do these woods jog your memory?" Elena whirled around, but Katherine was no longer there. "Don't rely too much on your eyes, you're a vampire now, try using your ears," Katherine suggested as she leaned up against a tree, waiting to see if her doppelganger would be able to locate her.

As instructed, Elena took a breath to calm herself before closing her eyes and honing in on her hearing. For awhile, she heard nothing but the sounds of birds and other animals all around her. But as Elena listened in more closely she was able to to hear the faint beating of a heart.

Her eyes snapped open, a jubilant smile on her lips as she darted through the woods.

Growing bored, Katherine opened her mouth to speak, but was interrupted as Elena suddenly pounced on her, dropping them to the floor with her doppelganger on top of her.

"Found you!" Elena exclaimed, obviously having enjoyed using her enhanced hearing. "I can't believe all vampires can do this, and don't get me started on how fast we are able to move," she rambled on, but Katherine was quick to put a finger to her lips to shush her. Elena raised a confused eyebrow, but then followed Katherine's finger as she pointed to the tree just to the side of them.

~Katherine &amp; Elena - 2009~ Had been the initials engraved, with a heart carved around it.

"...Why would you bring me here?" Elena asked, getting up and slowly putting distance between them.

Inhaling a single, quiet breath, Katherine sauntered over to her doppelganger. "You honestly don't remember writing that?" her hand gestured over to the carvings in the tree once more. Elena's attention flickered over to the tree, and as she stared at it, she still couldn't believe or remember writing _that_.

Sparing a glance towards Katherine, Elena narrowed her eyes as she caught sight of her impish smirk. "I don't," she retorted, and soon found herself pressed up against the tree. It was alarming how fast Katherine had moved though Elena seemed to be trying to contain it, even as she struggled wildly in Katherine's firm grip.

"You're not gonna make this easy on me are you?" Elena arched an eyebrow, a stubborn gleam entering her eyes that seemed to challenge Katherine's self-control. "Knowing what you now know, do you want nothing to do with me anymore?"

Elena swallowed the lump in her throat while her gaze lingered on Katherine's lips for a moment and back to her. The strange glint that seeped through Katherine's eyes stirred up something within her, a feeling Elena hadn't felt since her relationship with Stefan, and that's what frightened her.

She settled for a slight shake of the head, praying Katherine would buy it, but instead, much to her dismay, elicited a small involuntary yelp as Katherine's nose touched her neck, breathing in her scent.

"You're not being honest with yourself," Katherine whispered, breathing in the intoxicating scent that seemed to emanate freely from her doppelganger. It had taken a fair amount of self-control as she struggled with the strong desire to lay claim to the thumping vein in which she felt was calling out to her.

Elena flushed slightly at the feeling of Katherine's breasts pushing up against her before stammering, "W-what are you doing?" Her eyes looked cautiously around the woods, afraid they'd be seen by someone, and also to avoid Katherine's predatory gaze.

"Truth is," Katherine started huskily and with a chuckle, before biting the inside of her cheek, "I've missed you." Elena's face heated up at her confession and Katherine grinned upon witnessing it.

"You couldn't just say that earlier?"

"Didn't want the Salvatore's listening in on our conversation."

"They both had their necks snapped," Elena said with a deadpan expression. "I doubt they would've heard."

"Maybe I like them better that way," Katherine shrugged. "Besides, I didn't want to take any chances."

Elena stared at her in silence, her curiosity becoming harder to suppress as Katherine continued to act out of character. It made Elena wary, she briefly wondered if this was a ploy of Katherine's to get her to let her guard down.

"You're staring a little hard there," Katherine said, then proceeded to nibble on her collarbone. And much to Elena's reluctance, she moaned, leaning further back onto the tree, looking anywhere but at Katherine.

"There's no need to be embarrassed." Elena gulped, biting her lip, and then met Katherine's amused eyes. This whole experience seemed surreal to her, for she never imagined that she would be in the woods with Katherine being pressed up against her. The rational part of her knew that she should run, but there was this strong desire within her that felt that she needed to be here.

"Perhaps we'll be together in another life..." Katherine murmured, pulling back and staring at her doppelganger. "Do you remember when I said that to you?"

Elena stood surprised at the question, she had no idea what Katherine was even talking about. Things were just too confusing. But before she could respond, Katherine abruptly pulled her away from the tree and turned her around as she expertly wrapped a necklace around her neck. Elena did not look at it, yet her cheeks were already warmed into a brilliant shade of red and her stomach felt as though it were infested with butterflies.

Her eyes gleamed, biting her bottom lip nervously as she snuck a quick glance at it and looked away.

_Oh, my god!_

"Yes, Katherine, I'm willing to put up with your mood swings once again!" Katherine pouted though her eyes couldn't hide how amused she was.

"I'm not _that_ moody," she almost whined. This action caused Elena to smile. She reached out and captured the brunette in a tight hug.

"There you go again... hugging me so roughly," Katherine hissed as she tried to pull away, but realized Elena had no intention of releasing her. Katherine sighed, and if anyone were to see her they could see she was rather annoyed with her doppelgangers' sudden gesture.

Elena, though, was enjoying the moment they were experiencing. She didn't want to let go, she wanted to make the most of it, knowing Katherine wouldn't allow this to happen again. She constantly had to stifle a giggle at how Katherine didn't know how to respond to a simple hug.

"You're hungry," Katherine stated as her doppelgangers' stomach growled. Elena looked away, slightly blushing as she folded her arms over her midsection.

"I am," she agreed, casting a hopeful glance at the other brunette. "...Would you teach me how to hunt?"

In response, she got a short nod, which in turn surprised Elena as she was certain the other brunette would refuse.

"Human, or would you prefer Bambi?"

Elena continued looking at Katherine, her face changing from aspirant to a look of annoyance as she muttered, "Animal, Katherine...animal."

For the next half hour, Elena fed off one animal after the other, trying to quell the hunger raging within her. But as quickly as she consumed the blood, she'd vomited it out, much to Katherine's shock as her body was refusing to keep the animal blood down.

"What's wrong with me?" Elena questioned, wiping away the animal blood on her chin as she stared at the corpse of the deer before her.

"I'm not sure..." Katherine narrowed her eyes, slightly bewildered. "Maybe human blood would do the trick."

"Human blood?" Elena repeated, worried she wouldn't have proper control of her hunger. The last thing she wanted was to put someone's life in danger.

"Unless you wanna try some of my delicious blood," Katherine offered, smirking, prompting Elena to absentmindedly lick her lips and slowly nod. With a flicker of movement, Katherine's nails pricked a small hole on her wrist, all while eyeing her doppelganger with genuine interest.

Elena's attention was solely focused on Katherine's wrist, and, in the blink of an eye, Katherine abruptly gasped as she was shoved roughly against a tree as her doppelganger eagerly licked the small wound and proceeded to drink from it. Katherine silently looked on, even going as far as to gently run a hand through her doppelgangers' hair as Katherine found herself enjoying the sudden rush within her.

Several moments pass, leaving Katherine to ponder whether this was a good idea. Her eyesight had begun to blur and her legs felt weakened; Elena was consuming more blood than she thought she would. "That's enough," Katherine said, her strained voice betraying the contorted smirk on her face. Katherine slowly pulled her hand away, only stopped when an uncharacteristic growl emitted from her doppelganger as Elena bit into the wrist once more.

Breathing heavily, Katherine pulled her hand away, glaring fiercely at Elena. "No more" She then squatted and placed her hands on her knees, looking at her doppelganger through blurry vision.

Elena cocked her head, and then charged Katherine, pinning her against a tree where she sank her fangs into her neck. "I said no more!" Katherine's scream went unnoticed as Elena gave into her new instincts and fed, finding herself slowly slipping into a state of unconsciousness.


	5. A Close Call

Katherine's eyes fluttered open and closed shut, a strange blurriness entering her vision as she struggled to remain conscious. She couldn't help but feel a slight twinge of fear as she internally berated herself for forgetting Elena didn't yet have the self-control needed to feed without killing. It had been a foolish mistake on her part for allowing this.

She needed to stop this, for her survival depended on it. With whatever strength Katherine could muster, she pulled at Elena's hair in an attempt to pry her off from her. But no matter how much Katherine tugged her doppelgangers' hair, she wouldn't budge; Elena's fangs were embedded deep within her.

_I said no more!_

Elena's eyes widened at the voice, heart racing, stomach churning, and her entire being shaken as she inwardly fought with herself, but to no avail. Hunger had firmly gripped her mind, ignoring the distressed voice entirely, and only allowing her primal instincts to take control of her body.

Katherine felt another ripple of fear shoot through her as the strength she had been using to remain standing slowly dissipated. The hand that was pulling Elena's hair dropped to her side, and her legs buckled, causing her to slowly slide down the tree she was being pressed against.

"_No more_," Katherine hissed, fighting off the urge to close her eyes as her body felt heavily drained. "Get off me!"

Abruptly, it ended. Elena pulled away, her eyes returning to their normal color. She looked around her and just then noticed a pair of large, dark eyes. They were watching her. Something close to curiosity mixed with a hint of anger.

"I see you've returned back to normal," Katherine's hoarse voice stated. Elena had made to reply, but she felt something fall onto her shoe. She looked down, eyes narrowing in confusion at the sight of a single blood drop.

Gulping down a lump in her throat, and trying to ignore the feeling of dread in her stomach, Elena slowly brought a hand up to her chin and then looked at it - it was covered in fresh blood. The powerful scent of it assaulted her nose, bringing tears to her eyes upon realization.

"Did I do this to you?" she hesitantly asked.

Katherine gave Elena a serious look. "You don't remember?"

Elena furrowed her eyebrows, completely lost. "No."

Katherine rolled her eyes and attempted to stand, but had fallen. "You drank a lot more blood than I thought you would." Elena sighed, and was about to voice an apology, but Katherine continued, "I should have seen that coming... What happened to you was actually normal for recently turned vampires."

"It-it is?" Elena gasped, surprised.

Katherine faintly nodded, still inwardly fighting to stay conscious. "We're vampires - we're forced to live with that constant craving for blood. There are many of our kind who try to resist it, and then there are those of us who wholeheartedly embrace our new nature." Elena hadn't missed the flash in Katherine's eyes, for it made her feel uneasy.

Silence filled the air. Katherine kept her gaze solely on her doppelganger, smothering the urge to chuckle as she paced around, clearly blaming herself. Elena had caught Katherine's stare and she quickly averted her gaze elsewhere. The feeling in her gut was too much to bear at the moment. She wanted to help Katherine but wasn't sure how to go about it.

"I need blood, Elena," Katherine deadpanned, breaking her doppelganger out of her thoughts. "And just so we're clear, I don't feed off of animals, I prefer human. However given my predicament, I _guess_ I'll settle for any type of blood." Elena stifled a grunt at how Katherine always finds ways to come off bitchy, even in this situation. She took a deep breath and nodded, hardening her heart and resolve to save Katherine.

"Let me get you back to the Boarding House."

Katherine raised an eyebrow in annoyance. "Yeah, that's not gonna happen," she grumbled while doing her best to stay conscious. She didn't like the idea of being vulnerable in the house of a raven-haired Salvatore, who apparently held a grudge against her. "I don't want to go there in my weakened condition."

Elena sighed. "Look, you're not in any condition to argue with me," she said, kneeling next to Katherine. "Besides, they have blood bags."

When Elena picked her up, bridal-style, Katherine fought the immense desire to resist; she hated being treated like she was some damsel in distress. Though after a long stare at Elena, it was obvious her doppelganger was worried about her well-being.

* * *

It took Elena a bit longer, perhaps ten minutes, but she made it to the Boarding House with an unconscious Katherine in her arms. But before they could enter, Damon met them at the door, and he did not look happy to see them. He had awoken from having his neck snapped, courtesy of the very woman he once sought to rescue from a tomb.

He looked at Katherine's still body, then met Elena's eyes. "Tell me what happened?" he demanded, staring into her eyes with an intensity that seemed to pierce through her.

Elena bit her lip, she thought of lying, but decided against it, she was never good at it, and she was certain he'd see right through her. "We were in the woods, and she was teaching me how to hunt."

"And yet that still doesn't explain why Katherine's unconscious, pale and sweating," Stefan interjected, walking past his brother to get a good look at Katherine's unconscious form. His gaze softened for the briefest of seconds had Elena blinked she would have missed it.

"For some reason my body was refusing to keep the animal blood down," Elena said while fidgeting nervously. "So Katherine offered me some of her blood in hopes of sating my hunger," she continued, watching his facial expression intently. "And once I began drinking, I couldn't stop myself."

"You fed off her?" Stefan asked, looking Elena in the eyes as he did, after which she nodded.

"Damn it!" Damon bellowed and sped into the Boarding House.

Elena couldn't help but flinch at his tone, but was confused on why he had gotten upset in the first place. Stefan looked at Katherine for a moment, then at Elena, who he had noticed was genuinely lost as to his brother's reason for being upset.

"Blood sharing is a sacred act for our kind," he said, watching as she rolled her eyes.

"But I've drunk yours and Damon's blood before..."

Stefan sighed, running a hand through his hair. "It was different then because you were still human, and during those times you fed off us, it was to heal you of your injuries," he reminded. "But now you are no longer a human - you're a vampire. And blood sharing is something all vampires take seriously."

Elena thought for a moment and then nodded, accepting Stefan's explanation. "She still needs a blood bag."

Stefan smiled, he was happy Elena still showed signs of having her humanity, even as a vampire. It did, however, open his eyes that there may be something going on between the two brunettes. In truth, it didn't bother him as much as it should have. But still, Stefan knew Elena's friends weren't going to be understanding or supportive when they too piece together what he has briefly bear witness to.

With a small grin in place, Stefan gently patted her back. "Let's go inside. Take Katherine upstairs to her guest bedroom, I'll bring a blood bag up shortly."

As Elena proceeded to move quietly throughout the Boarding House, she felt a headache rising as she thought of Katherine's recent behavior. She had not expected the memories that have been returning to be real, and she still wasn't entirely sure she wanted them to be.

She took a deep breath to clear her mind, something that usually helped her during these stressful times.

As she made her way into the living room, Damon spooked her as he materialized right before her, his right hand clenching tightly onto a stake. The murderous look he was directing at Katherine spoke for itself- he was furious, which she couldn't fathom why.

Before Elena could voice, her question, Stefan brushed past her and tackled his brother onto the couch, trying to pry the stake out of his grip. But unfortunately, he wasn't stronger than Damon since he fed off of animals and not humans like their kind was supposed to. Damon quickly gained the upper hand in their struggle and snapped his brother's neck. He then took a few small steps towards her, his eyes never leaving the unconscious form of Katherine.

"Just hand her over," he ordered.

"No."

"Don't you get it?!" Damon hissed. "Katherine has caused us so much trouble in the past! We probably won't even get another chance like this!"

"I'm not handing her over to you!" Elena retorted, determined to see through Katherine's safe recovery.

Damon gritted his teeth, hatred and jealousy flaring in his eyes. "Either you give Katherine to me, or I will take her from you," his voice filled with nothing but the darkest intent.

"I told you no!" Elena snapped and quickly sped up the stairs and into Katherine's bedroom where she proceeded to ensure the door was securely locked. Satisfied, Elena then placed Katherine onto the bed and berated herself for not listening to Katherine when she should have. If she had only listened they wouldn't be in this mess.

Putting those thoughts aside, Elena attention flickered over towards the bed, or better yet, the person on the bed, with a painful look over her face. She still couldn't ignore the need to be in Katherine's presence, to protect her if need be; at least, that's what she thought it was. Seeing Katherine unconscious, so vulnerable, unable to defend herself, was hard on her. Elena still didn't understand how she had lost control of herself.

Her gaze shifted to the bedroom door, listening in closely as a seemingly crazed Damon proceeded to bang on the door, calling out her name, demanding that she open it.

She rolled her eyes, the amount of over-protectiveness he was exuding was borderline crazy. To think he'd stoop so low to attempt to kill someone who was unable to defend themselves, disgusted Elena greatly. Not that she'd ever allow Damon to even touch Katherine. Just the mere thought caused her eyes to become watery with anger.

Oddly enough, Elena felt an extreme sense of possessiveness when it came to Katherine, she wasn't about to allow any harm come Katherine's way. And if that meant snapping Damon's neck to ensure Katherine's safety, then so be it. Elena wasn't sure where this protectiveness was even coming from. Just a few days ago, she would've been fine with Damon's actions towards Katherine.

Her eyes were filled with determination as the desire to rouse Katherine from her unconsciousness surged within.

Quickly, she bit into her wrist and placed it over the vampire's lips. And sure enough, Katherine instinctively held Elena's hand in place while she fed. Elena looked on, slightly curious as to how long this was going to take. Without thinking her other hand reached out and moved a stray curl from Katherine's face, a small blush appearing as she did so; she had to admit Katherine's curly hair did look really good on her.

As Elena's eyes roamed over Katherine's body, her cheeks flushed red as she tried to ignore the foreign sensation she was feeling in her private area. Although she has seen Katherine numerous times by now, it still baffled her how similar they were- from their laugh to their eyes.

She smiled sadly at the thought, and then a sudden shout from Damon reminded her of his persistence to get inside the bedroom.

Elena huffed, slowly retracting her wrist from Katherine's firm grip and made her way over to the door. The surprise on Damon's face was evident, but before he could say anything she kicked him in his private area and watched in satisfaction as he fell to his knees, glaring intently at her.

"What the hell was that for?" Damon demanded. "I just wanted to protect you!"

"From what?" Elena simply stood there, giving him an unreadable expression, ready to hear what excuse he has for his crazed actions. She wasn't surprised when he pointed at Katherine, who still lay unconscious on the bed.

"Katherine can't be trusted," Damon tried to reason. "Have you really forgotten everything she has done to us?"

Elena shook her head, her shoulders slumping in assurance. "I haven't forgotten, nor will I ever," she murmured. "But I will not stand idly by and watch as you kill someone who is unable to defend themselves."

"Listen to yourself!" Damon snapped, his ears are not believing what he's hearing. "This is Katherine! The bitch who is responsible for my suffering and my brother's!" he reminded.

Elena slowly nodded, understanding his anger, though she had already made up her mind and was determined to stand by her decision. "I understand Damon, I do, but there are reasons why I won't let you harm her," she said, and then gave him an uncharacteristic smirk that Katherine would be proud of.

He watched in absolute horror as the smirk played on her lips as if mocking him for being oblivious. But the sly smirk had been so hauntingly familiar that he couldn't help but murmur, "Katherine?"

Elena narrowed her eyes a bit but kept her smirk in place as she felt a set of possessive hands surround her waist. "Oh, but I'm right here Damon," Katherine sneered, placing her chin on Elena's shoulder. Katherine felt proud at having bear witness as her doppelganger attempted to protect her from someone she no doubt considered special to her.

It had been an amusing sight to watch as his mind slowly began to put the pieces together; for his shock to quickly turn into curiosity, and then fierce anger as a horrible realization came to mind.

Katherine's eyes slightly dropped as his hands still remained occupied on his manhood. She wagged her finger at him as her signature smirk appeared. "Have you no shame?"

Damon forcefully grinned, a snide remark at the tip of his tongue, but then lost his train of thought when a giggle came from Elena, drawing his attention towards her. He had been sickened to his core when realizing Elena seemed to be enjoying the attention she was receiving from the she-devil.

He shook his head. This was not Elena, couldn't be her. He refused to believe the straight-haired brunette in front of him would enjoy being in Katherine's arms.

"What have you done to Elena?" he demanded.

"I've done nothing," Katherine replied, but Damon was able to detect a hint of excitement in her voice.

"Stop lying," he hissed. "Tell me what you did!"

Katherine arched an eyebrow at him, and then her mouth drew dangerously close to Elena's neck as she inhaled the pleasant aroma, her eyes staring into his. "Would it be so hard to believe that I'm merely comforting someone who you happened to scare?"

She didn't get an answer, only a growl as Damon remained certain she'd done something to Elena; it wasn't surprising, nor did it effect her mood as her smile only increased in size.

"As much as I enjoy watching you glower at me, I must ask: where do you keep your blood bags at?"

"Now why would I tell you?" Damon retorted, getting ready to pounce at a moments notice.

Elena rolled her eyes, having had enough of their immature behavior. "The blood bag is for me," she voiced, getting their attention.

Damon's eyes softened. "The fridge is in the cellar," he said with a longing look in his eyes. Elena blinked at his sudden change in attitude, then mouthed her thanks and sped towards the cellar, leaving them alone.

Katherine looked on as Damon's eyes held a yearning desire in them, and jealousy filled her very being at the thought of someone wanting Elena. Katherine Pierce was not the jealous type, it made her angry that this absurd feeling had invaded her heart.

He snorted abruptly, his face twisting into a knowing grin, he'd knew he was correct in his assumption. "Tricking Elena into feeding on you? That's a new low, even for you." Katherine simply stared at him, inwardly rolling her eyes at how wrong he was. "You really had my brother fooled... You know he actually believes you have redeeming qualities? He even went as far as to defend you when I-"

He didn't get to finish as he collapsed onto the floor, his neck snapped.

Katherine stood there, reminiscing of Stefan; she wasn't surprised that he still believed she could change.

Brought out of her thoughts with sudden movement, Katherine watched as her doppelganger appeared before her with a blood bag. She watched with curiosity as Elena bit into the blood bag and then looked at her with pleading eyes. Katherine nodded, and then gasped as Elena shoved it into her mouth, force-feeding her, much to Katherine's annoyance.

Katherine accepted the blood, gulping it down with a fervor. "You could've put a straw in it," she snickered, rolling her shoulders, the stiffness in her muscles still present.

"I could have but didn't, get over it," Elena snapped, glaring at the ungrateful vampire, who was oblivious to how worried she'd been for her.

Katherine tilted her head. "That's weird... normally Stefan shows up by now."

"He... He had his neck snapped," Elena murmured, images of Damon's earlier actions lingered in her mind. "Trying to protect you."

"And why would I need protection?" Katherine asked, curious as to what has been going on while she was unconscious; though she had a feeling she already knew.

"You were right about not wanting to come here in your weakened condition." Elena sighed, knowing her decision almost had Katherine killed. "Damon wanted to stake you while you were unconscious."

Katherine's neck snapped towards Damon with a mixture of rage and hatred; Elena may be unaware of Damon's feelings for her, but she wasn't. Damon wanted what belonged to _her_!

"If you had listened to me-"

"I know," Elena interrupted. "I'm sorry this happened."


	6. Getting Answers

Katherine shifted in bed while absentmindedly reaching over to her side; her eyes snapped open and her heart skipped a beat when realizing she was alone. But after hearing the shower running, she released the breath she had found herself holding. With Damon's recent actions towards her, Katherine wouldn't put it past him to storm inside Elena's home and begin demanding answers concerning how protective Elena was being with her.

Her eyes narrowed and she gripped the bed sheet tightly; Damon was certainly becoming a pest that she would soon need to have a serious talk with. She didn't need him interfering in her and Elena's relationship. And if Damon refused to back off, she wouldn't hesitate in ripping out his heart if it secured her and Elena's safety.

Groaning, she once again shifted in bed, bringing her attention to the restroom door. It was slightly opened and the desire to join Elena was raging within her. With a sigh, she decided against it. Elena had made it clear last night she'd wanted to take it slow, which was something that irritated Katherine greatly.

* * *

Amid the shower running a man calmly walked out of Elena's closet, looking steadily at the woman who had escaped his clutches for over five hundred years.

He simply stood at the foot of the bed watching silently as Katherine fidgeted, shifting from side to side while taking quick looks at the bedroom door, completely unaware of his presence. The curly-haired woman had drastically slowed down his plans in the past, but that didn't matter anymore. It was now time to exact his retribution, and he would be damned if she were to escape his grasp once more.

He internally chuckled as he brought out his stake, images of the woman's soon-to-be helpless eyes exciting him.

As much as he wanted to outright kill her, he decided against it. This was a moment he had long looked forward too, so he would much rather take his time and enjoy the fear his very presence instilled upon the rebellious brunette.

Oblivious of what's about to occur, Katherine placed her hands behind her head, her eyes closed as she tried to get some sleep.

The man raised the stake, and then in a swift motion, plunged it through the unsuspecting brunette's throat, impaling her. He then watched in sick fascination as her eyes snapped open and were panic-stricken to notice she couldn't scream.

Her left hand trembled, trying to grasp the stake piercing her throat until it was pinned to the bed by the man's other hand. He then hopped on the bed, straddling her waist to better enforce the amount of pressure he had on the stake. She rolled her head to the side of the mattress, peered over towards the restroom door and attempted to shout at Elena for help.

But much to her horror, she couldn't. When her mouth opened, blood poured out, preventing her from doing so.

It was then she finally focused on her attacker. She eyed him attentively; the man's expression was stone cold as he stared down at her. He said nothing; his eyes revealed nothing. But she knew better; underneath his emotionless mask, this man was enjoying watching her squirm beneath him.

"Stop resisting," the man whispered, brushing her stray curl to the side. "Stop clinging to your life as if it actually matters," he said; his voice filled with sadistic satisfaction as he watched her.

Knowing her time was drawing near, Katherine craned her head back on the bed and looked him straight in the eyes. She wanted to plea for her life, but her pride wouldn't allow it; she wouldn't give 'him' the pleasure of watching her break-down.

"It's time to die, Katerina," he chuckled darkly, quickly pulling the stake out of her throat, and in another fast motion, thrust it into her chest, right in the place where the heart was supposed to be.

Suddenly Katherine awoke gasping heavily for air. She heaved herself off of the mattress and onto her feet, and in a frantic manner, looked around the bedroom.

And, much to her relief, there wasn't anyone there.

'Was it a dream?' Had been the thought plaguing Katherine as she found herself rooted to her spot in fear, such was the impression this 'person' had on her.

"Oh I see you're awake," Elena voiced, stepping out of the restroom with a towel covering her body. Upon noticing Katherine's distraught expression, she grew worried. "Is something wrong?"

"Was it you?" Katherine abruptly asked, placing a hand on her hip.

"Was what me?" Elena retorted, tilting her head in confusion.

"I'm asking if you were the one who manipulated my dream!" Katherine hissed, shaking in anger.

Elena shook her head, surprised and confused she was being accused of something she had no part in. "I'm still new to being a vampire," she reminded, moving closer. "It was just a nightmare."

Katherine shrugged off her doppelgangers' hands, certain what she saw was dream manipulation. Her expression didn't seem to change, it remained cold and threatening; 'he' had invaded her mind. And although she didn't want to acknowledge that 'person', it became apparent things were just getting started between them.

* * *

"I didn't expect to see you two," Stefan deadpanned as he looked between the doppelgangers; Elena fidgeting while Katherine smirking as she eyed his bare chest.

"Did we interrupt something?"

Stefan sighed, opening the door further to allow them access into his home. He had been slightly surprised they had showed up together, especially considering what had happened the previous day. He stared at them awhile, a frown of thought marring his features.

"Elena..." he began, his lips forming a tight line. "Can we talk?"

Elena didn't respond. She merely nodded, uncertain of his intentions. Was he going to pull a 'Damon' on her?

"Am I being ignored?" Katherine piped in. Stefan turned to her and sighed.

"What are you doing back here?"

Katherine rolled her eyes, annoyed. "In case you've forgotten, I was staying here."

"Oh I haven't forgotten," Stefan retorted with anger in his voice. "Just didn't expect for the both of you to show up at my doorstep. Especially given Damon's reckless behavior yesterday."

"_Damon_..." Elena muttered, her eyes softening. "Is he here?"

Stefan shook his head. "He left early in the morning."

"Well that's unfortunate," Katherine huffed. "I was looking forward to having my revenge. Though I must thank you; I heard you _tried_ protecting me," she smirked. Stefan sped towards her but was thrown across the room.

"Now now, Stefan," Katherine chided, amused. "I didn't come here to provoke you, even though I thoroughly _enjoy_ seeing you all flustered!"

"Enough, Katherine," Elena interrupted, annoyed. "Remember why we're here."

Katherine pouted. "You're no fun." Elena rolled her eyes, shaking her head.

The shock on Stefan's face was noticeable as he watched Elena narrow her eyes at him as if she were warning him to keep his distance from Katherine. She waltzed around him with Katherine following in step and they continued on their way to her bedroom. And for the next 10 minutes, she quickly helped Katherine pack up her belongings, fearing Damon might return. She was sure a healthy Katherine could take of herself; it was Damon she was worried about.

"Not having seconds thoughts are you?"

Elena looked to her side, smirking. "I told you that I was willing to put up with your mood swings, didn't I?"

Katherine had made to reply, but her increased hearing picked up a sigh outside her bedroom. A small smile made its way onto her lips. "I didn't take you for the eavesdropping type."

"I need to speak with Katherine alone," Stefan said, stepping into the bedroom, his attention resting solely on the curly haired brunette. Katherine narrowed her eyes, then nodded in her doppelgangers' direction. Elena looked down, sighing deeply, and a short silence hung in the air before she sped downstairs, giving them the privacy they wanted.

"What did you wanna talk about?" Katherine could see the turmoil raging in his eyes as if he was desperate for an answer.

"You...You've been alive for over five hundred years," he started, staring intently into her eyes. "I was wondering if sometime during your travels you ever came across a cure from vampirism?"

He stared at her with hopeful eyes, aware he was asking for something that many of their kind considered a myth. But he had to be sure; had to be certain before he even began to accept the harsh reality that Elena will forever be a vampire.

"If you didn't want her to be a vampire, you shouldn't have given her your blood," she said through gritted teeth.

"It wasn't my choice!" Stefan argued. "If Meridith Fell hadn't given her vampire blood, Elena would have died," he reasoned.

At the mention of Meredith's name, Katherine raised an eyebrow. "The same Meredith I was sending my blood too?"

Stefan's eyes widened in disbelief as he remembered Katherine's reason for being in Mystic Falls.

_'I've found a doctor in Mystic Falls who is working on a way to synthesize my blood,' Katherine said._

_'What's the doctor's name that was helping you re-create your blood?' Stefan asked._

_Without fully turning around, Katherine glanced over her shoulder. 'Meredith Fell...'_

Katherine gasped, a rare display of genuine surprise washed over her as she remembered what Meredith had said to her.

_'As you can see Katherine, your blood does possess some form of unique powers. I've even saved some lives with it,' Meredith said, hinting at Elena._

Unknown to them, Elena stood at the bottom of the stairs with her hands covering her mouth, also remembering her conversations with Katherine and Stefan.

_'When Jeremy brought you to the hospital before all this had happened, your injuries were worse than anyone knew. Meredith Fell made a choice, she used vampire blood to heal you,' Stefan said._

_'And when Rebekah ran Matt's truck off the road, you had vampire blood in your system, Elena.'_

_'Whose vampire blood do I have?' Elena asked, causing Damon to roll his eyes and reply, "Does it matter?"_

_'Why are you back in Mystic Falls?' Elena asked Katherine._

_'I was visiting Dr. Meredith Fell, who was supposed to be trying to figure out a way to re-create my blood. But that didn't work out.' Katherine frowned, having remembered Meredith's betrayal by saving lives with her blood._

Both Stefan and Katherine looked at one another in complete shock.

* * *

Stefan could only stare at Katherine with a look of uncertainty; he didn't harbor any animosity towards her, but Stefan internally questioned her motives and involvement in Elena's transition. After all, what are the chances Meredith used Katherine's blood to heal Elena? And was Katherine secretly aware and planned for Elena to be killed with her blood flowing through her?

Katherine huffed, having been the first to snap out of her musings; Meredith's attempts at saving lives had inadvertently been the cause of Elena's transition. And judging by _his_ surprised look, she guessed he had also put the pieces together. Her eyes softened as a wave of nostalgia washed over her; Stefan had always been a man of perception, so it wasn't all that surprising.

Katherine cleared her throat to get his attention. Stefan had spaced off for a few moments, staring at her cautiously.

"There's no easy way for me to say this so I'll just say it," he began. "What's going on between you and Elena?"

Katherine shrugged, opting to play dumb, and in an instant Stefan had her pinned against the wall; his hands tightly gripping her throat. "Tell me," he demanded, his eyes promising pain if it meant getting answers.

Although under his firm grip, Katherine couldn't help but feel a slight yearning for him. His sudden display of protectiveness for Elena reminded her of the old days they'd spent together; how he had once desired to protect her from his father.

There was a time where she would have done anything to have his eyes only on her, but every time he looked at her was to question her motives. Though she guessed she brought that outcome upon herself. He would never look past the horrendous things she had done to ensure her survival.

Stefan gritted his teeth as he felt his legs give out under the unexpected twist of his arm. "I'm older than you," Katherine reminded, breaking his arm. "Don't try that again," she warned.

He fell to his knees, clutching onto his arm. "What's going on between you and Elena?"

Katherine raised a brow. "Was it really that noticeable?"

Stefan slightly nodded as he recalled her actions. "Earlier when I attempted to follow you both, Elena narrowed her eyes at me; but it was more of a 'keep your distance' look. Which leaves me to believe she wants to protect you."

"At first, I assumed it was because she was the reason for your unconsciousness," he continued, "but that was yesterday, and you've seemed to recover. So what is Elena doing with you now? And why does she seem protective of you?"

Katherine sighed, placing a hand on her hip; perhaps it'd be best to enlighten him on their past friendship. "I need you to listen closely, Stefan, because I will not repeat myself," she began, "Elena and I have a history prior to yours and Damon's return to Mystic Falls."

He gasped as her words registered, horror and guilt becoming evident as the shocking truth dawned on him.

'Katherine is the one who compelled Elena to forget their encounters...' he thought in disbelief.

"Were you two together?" he hesitantly asked, but then looked relieved when she shook her head.

"No." Katherine closed her eyes, indulging in past memories. "But that didn't stop us from becoming... _friends_," she said, a smirk forming.

"So you manipulated Elena into being your friend?" he asked with his jaw clenched.

Katherine huffed, slowly opening her eyes. "Don't think so low of me, Stefan. FYI, Elena considered _me_ her friend, I just went along with it," she lied, not wanting Stefan to know how nervous and happy she'd actually been that day.

"And don't act so innocent yourself," Katherine chided. "I remember you standing idly by as Damon snapped my neck and imprisoned me in the cellar after _I_ informed you of Elena's imminent death." Her cheeks puffed and she huffed. "Not even a thank you?"

Stefan sighed, gaining a solemn look at the recall of said memory. "You're right and I apologize for not doing anything. But can you blame me? I didn't know if we could trust you."

Katherine raised an amused eyebrow. "If I wanted you and your brother dead, you'd both be dead, Stefan."

He ignored her. "Well, none of that matters. Elena's desire to protect you is obviously being forced on her by the sire bond."

Katherine scowled at what he was implying. "You think the vampire sire bond is actually real?"

"I'm not entirely sure," he replied. "We don't know if her impulse to protect you is genuine. For all, we know this could be a sire bond of sorts expressing her 'need' to protect you. Not her."

"Okay... why don't we pause and rewind. What do you know of the sire bond? I thought it was only a hybrid thing?" Katherine asked.

"During my time with Klaus, he mentioned the person sired will follow his or her master and do whatever they ask of them. Meaning they're completely loyal to their creator."

"If that's the case, then how would you describe yourself?" Katherine asked, eager for his response. "You died with my blood in your system," she pointed out, twirling a loose curl.

Stefan sighed, running a hand through his hair. This will be the second time he tells her. "What I felt for you wasn't real, you had me compelled." His words were true, that was all that mattered to him. Katherine had always denied the truth. Somewhere inside her delusional mind, she truly believed he loved her.

"Why is it so hard to admit that you loved me for a time?"

Stefan groaned, getting back to his feet. "It's sad you're under that false illusion. And even _if_ I did love you, you wouldn't know how to return it," he said seriously. "You're incapable of love."

As soon as those words were said, Katherine felt a sudden sharp pain in her chest. It hurt her why Stefan would even say that. The moments they'd spent together in the past were real; they were memories that she held onto. She did truly love him, so why couldn't he see that her affections for him were once genuine?

She shook her head and sighed, visibly upset of his reluctance to give an honest answer. "You claim your feelings for me aren't real...so why is it you held onto that old picture of me?" Her eyebrows raised in question with her accusation.

Stefan glanced around the room, unable to voice reason for his shocking action. In all honesty, he wasn't sure what prevented him from shredding the picture the numerous times he had attempted to. It'd made him question himself, if only slightly. Perhaps there was a part of him that refused to let go of the past. A part of him that sympathized with the woman who had somehow charmed her way into his heart.

He felt conflicted, not knowing what to make of it.

He wanted to hate Katherine, oh god he wanted to, with every fiber of his being. It would make things so much easier.

But he just couldn't bring himself to utter the words that would give him the closure he desperately needed. And because of this, he was stuck in a dilemma that continued hurt him in a way he didn't fully understand.

"Well, Stefan?"

Katherine was enjoying the look of inner turmoil written over Stefan's face. While she had been pleased with his affections towards her, she wanted to know why he continued to hide them. She wanted him to be truthful and acknowledge the feelings he kept hidden.

Stefan stood there stunned for a few more moments longer, but he finally regained his voice as Katherine looked to be getting impatient. "We're not here to talk about us," he said.

Katherine turned away and sighed, and said over her shoulder, "There's only so long you can run away from what you feel. But don't worry, eventually, the feelings you have for me will become momentarily unbearable. And when that time comes I'll-"

"Enough!" he abruptly shouted.

"You should really do something about all of your repressed issues, _Stefan_," Katherine said as she made her way over to the door. "I'll be back, gonna make a phone call and hopefully get some answers regarding the sire bond."

Downstairs, Elena shook her head, upset with what she'd heard during her eavesdropping. The young brunette sported a stoic expression on the outside, but on the inside, she was struggling with the possibility of Stefan's words being true. Was she sired to Katherine? Is this why she feels the need to be near her?

Without a second thought, Elena left the Boarding House.

* * *

Katherine sighed as she strolled into the nearby woods just far enough to place her phone call. Her head craned back as she gazed at the falling leaves of a tree. Elijah was her best bet for answers. Just the thought of the man was enough for an involuntary smile to work its way across her face. The aura in which Elijah carried himself spoke for itself; he was a man of integrity, a trait she had found quite alluring over the centuries.

She bit her lip, blushing a little. He'd always been good to her. And she was willing to admit had he not been so loyal to his siblings, they would've had something special going on between them. However, the noble Elijah always set his family above anything or anyone; that included her.

She shook her head, successfully shrugging off the feeling of discomfort. Regardless of her past feelings for Elijah, he was still someone she thoroughly enjoyed having a conversation with.

"I'm rather surprised you have the audacity to call me, Katerina," A firm but calm voice spoke. "Last we had spoken you were conspiring against my family, and even went as far as to be an accessory to my brother's eventual demise."

Katherine sighed, tightening her grip on the phone as she muttered, "I just wanted to ensure my survival..."

Elijah's eyes softened, realizing he can't remain mad at Katerina. She had every right to feel the way she did towards his family. It was _they_ who ruined her life. His brother held a strong unreasoning desire for revenge. In the past, he'd done what he could to sway Klaus's mind into giving Katerina his pardon, but to no avail.

"Elijah, you there?!" Her face had become flushed with anger and embarrassment at the thought of him hanging up.

The Original smiled into the phone; he could just picture her pouting. "Rest assured, I am still here. Now to what do I owe the pleasure of this unexpected phone call? I trust you're living a life full of contentment?" he asked, his tone radiating authentic concern.

Katherine was briefly stunned at the amount of worry in his tone. "Oh my, Elijah, don't tell me you're worried about me?"

He sighed and glanced outside his bedroom window. "Of course, I'm worried about you," he agreed easily. "I always am. I'm well aware how many enemies you've made over the years."

Katherine blinked, momentarily confused by his honesty. She hadn't been expecting such a response, and so she didn't know how to take it for a long moment. Finally, she shook her head and allowed a smirk to play upon her lips. "My noble Lord Elijah, I had forgotten how caring you were for me," she purred. "I trust the suit is doing you wonders with the ladies these days?"

He cleared his throat, not expecting Katerina to ask a question about his everyday life. "There have been a few women over these recent years," he admitted in a somewhat proud tone while absentmindedly fixing his tie.

"They wouldn't know how to please a man with your caliber to begin with," she snorted in distaste, prompting Elijah to smile over his end of the phone.

"Jealousy doesn't suit you, Katerina. Also, flattery will get you nowhere," he quipped. "Now as much as I enjoy chatting with you, I do hope there is reason for this phone call..."

She rolled her eyes, having almost forgotten the nature of the call. "I have questions concerning the sire bond."

"The sire bond you say..." Elijah's ears perked up in interest. "What do you wish to know?"

Katherine closed her eyes and gulped down a breath of air. If anyone knew if a sire bond existed, it would be an Original. "Elena died and came back as a vampire due to my blood being injected into her system. And now, according to Stefan, she has a strong desire to protect me." She sighed. "I was wondering if it was a bond of sorts, keeping her attached to me?"

Elijah's eyes widened in confusion, and his mouth momentarily dropped open in surprise. First, he discovers the lovely Elena had met her untimely demise, then has risen as a vampire who holds an ambition to protect Katerina. He blinked at that unexpected revelation before answering in an empty tone, "When a human loves a vampire and is turned by that vampire's blood, they may experience the sire bond, due to the emotions that they have felt being amplified by their transition, and afterwards do their best to please their sire."

His eyes suddenly lit up in comprehension of the fact of Elena loving Katerina before her death. "It would seem you left out vital information," he stated in an impassive tone of voice.

Katherine smirked as she leaned on a tree. "How sharp-witted of you," she said with silent praise. "Anything else I should know?"

Elijah sighed. "The bond is at its strongest when the sire is within the presence of the sired. And most importantly, the sire bond only amplifies how you act, not how you feel," he explained.

Her cheeks puffed as she digested the information. "Okay. That explains many things..."

He smiled. "It was my pleasure to be of some help, Katerina."

Katherine's eyes narrowed dangerously as she recalled her earlier _dream_. "Do you mind telling me why your brother continues to torment me from the _dead_?"

Elijah cleared his throat. "Perhaps you could enlighten me?"

Katherine rolled her eyes. "This morning I awoke from a _nightmare_," she said through gritted teeth. "A nightmare in which your brother drove a stake through my heart!"

Elijah's eyes softened as he said, "I'm afraid I have no clue what you're going on about... my brother is dead..."

"Don't bullshit me, Elijah!" she snapped. "What the hell does he want from me now?! I'm not the one who drove a magical stake through his heart!"

"I'm sorry... I can't help you." He wanted to assist her, but he was a man who valued family. They may have their differences from time to time, but at the end of the day, their pact meant everything to him.

Katherine scowled and mumbled under her breath, "_Coward_." Elijah narrowed his eyes, having heard. "After all these years you're still his lapdog..."

"I assure you I'm no coward," Elijah retorted, his voice coated in irritation. "Also, I refuse to take part in any future endeavor you have in store against my brother; he's my sibling, and I will _always_ be there for him."

"Why am I not surprised." Katherine rolled her eyes. "It's the doppelganger blood he's after, right?" she guessed.

Elijah took a deep breath and resumed his normal calm tone, "You must understand the position that I'm in. It isn't safe for me to speak of my brother's goals."

"C'mon, Elijah!" she exclaimed. "After everything your family has done to me, you owe me this much!"

He sighed, running a hand through his hair. He'd spent years trying to regain her trust after he stood idly by as his brother slaughtered her family. Perhaps helping Katerina would be the first step in his road to redemption. And afterward, possibly rebuild their relationship.

"Very well. I'm taking a huge risk disclosing this information, so I ask that you keep it to yourself," he said seriously. "Truthfully I'm just as surprised as you are; I had also been under the assumption that my brother had perished in his foolish attempt to create a hybrid army. Now imagine my surprise as he barged into our home-alive and in his hands were a couple of blood bags...doppelganger blood."

Katherine tensed up. Her enemy had somehow managed to attain doppelganger blood. And she was quite certain it wasn't her blood.

"How do I know you're telling the truth?"

"What purpose would I have in fabricating a lie of this magnitude, Katerina?"

Katherine had an annoyed look on her face. "There you go again...calling me that name," she murmured. "I go by Katherine now."

Elijah sighed and voiced his thoughts, "Ah, yes, this _Katherine_ facade you have going for you is quite renowned. According to the information I've gathered, you lie, cheat, and betray; all for the sake of survival."

Katherine had made to reply, but he continued, completely unaware of how hurtful his words were, "You're also aren't afraid to use your _assets_ to get what you want, which is quite repulsive if you ask me." He cleared his throat. "Pardon me, I left out manipulation, that's also one of your more well-known attributes. With a personality and nature like that, I doubt you'll find love."

Elijah's mouth snapped shut, aware the truthfulness behind his words wounded her deeply.

Silence followed for several moments. Katherine looked pensive, her brow furrowed and her lips set in a grim line as she replayed his words repeatedly in her mind. She wanted to shout and deny all of it...but what he said had been true. This was her now... she changed for the sake of self-preservation. She'd done what anyone would have to survive.

"You there?"

Katherine waited for a few moments before answering, "I-I have to go." She ended the phone call and stared up at the sky, watching as a flock of birds flew over the tree she leaned against. His words had brought her back to reality. Underneath her five hundred years of existence, she was just a girl; a naive girl who changed for the worst.


	7. Learning Self-Control

"Where have you been?"

Elena ignored the sudden pang in her chest at the sight of Katherine, who was currently glaring at her from her position on the couch. Elena had recalled what she had heard during her eavesdropping, and truth be told her mind still remained plagued on whether or not she was sired to Katherine. And she wasn't sure how she'd even bring up the topic, or how Katherine would react when learning of her eavesdropping.

"I went to see how Bonnie was doing, and Caroline had also been there." At the mention of Elena's friends, Katherine rolled her eyes and muttered incoherent words; she'd nearly forgotten about the witch and the blonde.

She gestured her doppelganger over to her and patted her lap.

"Hop on me," Katherine demanded while sparing Elena a look that spoke of desire. Katherine had to stifle a chuckle as she watched as her doppelganger fidgeted nervously not sure whether to follow through with it but then relented as she nodded and proceeded to saunter over to her. Elena paused, but eventually gave in and straddled her waist.

"That wasn't so hard now was it," Katherine murmured, drawing closer until their noses were inches apart. A faint pink tint appeared on Elena's face at how close they were. "I was worried about you." Elena's eyes widened, and couldn't stop herself from shrieking at her confession.

"Were you really?"

Katherine raised a brow, and her eyes twinkled with mischief intentions as she murmured, "Of course." Elena gasped when Katherine snuck a hand in her shirt, gently running her hand over her chest, lightly grazing her nipple.

"Do you doubt my worry?" Katherine whispered, placing a soft kiss on her doppelgangers' neck, while her left hand continued to grope Elena's chest, her other hand slid downward towards her doppelgangers' nether regions. She giggled upon catching a whiff of Elena's sweet arousal, pleased that her expert fingers were able to evoke such a heavenly aroma from the younger vampire.

"P-please..." Elena croaked, trying to resist the temptation flaring within her. "Taking it...slow...remember?" Elena's cheeks flushed cherry red as she struggled to regain her composure.

"I don't remember agreeing to such a thing!" Katherine argued, and in response, Elena folded her arms over her chest as she stared intently at her lecherous girlfriend. "Fine," Katherine's voice was reluctant, but it was necessary as it elicited a pleasant laugh from her doppelganger.

It happened in an instant. Katherine's face twisted into a manic grin, and she whispered in a low, menacing voice, "Mine." Her jaw locked shut around Elena's neck, relishing in the exquisite taste of her doppelgangers' blood that she'd only tasted in her dreams.

She reveled in soft moans, becoming increasingly aware of the juices that had begun to seep through her as a soft murmur of 'yours' escaped her doppelgangers' lips.

Unfortunately, Elena pulled away, panting heavily and said, "Let's stop."

Katherine growled, and was about to argue, but stopped herself when Elena suddenly cupped her cheeks and said, "I don't wanna rush our relationship."

"So I've heard," Katherine murmured, tilting her head. "I think I'd like you better without a shirt."

Elena smirked and wrapped herself in the blanket Katherine had been using when she arrived. "Well," she prodded the older vampire's shoulders, clearly enjoying the praise. "What else do you like about me?"

Katherine arched an eyebrow and grinned. "Never mind," Elena quickly said, knowing all-too-well what her grin implied.

* * *

Elena tilted her head to the side in an adorable inquisitive demeanor. "Are you comfortable?" she eagerly asked, having taken it upon herself to ensure Katherine was warm and cozy.

The vampire in question leaned further back into the living room couch, eyeing Elena with mild curiosity; her doppelganger had covered her with an excessive amount of blankets. She'd tried telling her just one was enough but Elena remained adamant and insisted since it was supposed to get chilly tonight.

Katherine hesitated for a moment before answering with a nod and afterward fought to suppress a shudder as she watched as her doppelganger let out a sigh of relief. The reality of having someone genuinely concerned about her well-being was perplexing, to say the least. It was then a slow smile formed on her lips though she couldn't quite fathom the reason for her amusement.

They sat there in silence, each pondering the day's events while occasionally exchanging quick glances at one another, both curious of the others' thoughts, and also secretly wishing they had the ability to read the others' mind.

"What's wrong?" Katherine asked, immediately becoming aware of the tears welling in her doppelgangers' eyes.

"I'm fine," Elena calmly assured, but with her hands twisting together in her lap and the apprehensiveness present in her eyes, showed Katherine that she wasn't.

"We're doppelgangers," Katherine reminded, an eyebrow raising in amusement. "We share the same facial expressions."

Elena begrudgingly nodded and lowered her gaze as she let out a soft sigh. "I..." She closed her eyes and took a deep, shaky breath and started again in a saddened and choked voice, "I'm worried about you," she muttered.

Internally, Katherine seemed surprised by this, but her outward expression remained blank. She then quickly deduced the reason for Elena's fret. "If this is about Damon, then don't worry. He'd caught me off-guard when he snapped my neck; it won't happen again," she assured.

Glancing over to her side, Elena nodded in acceptance. She then began staring at Katherine intently, making the older vampire uncomfortable as Katherine had to consciously keep herself from fidgeting under her watchful gaze. "I happened to _overhear_ your conversation with Stefan..."

Katherine clucked her tongue, irritated her doppelganger had eavesdropped on a topic she was hoping to keep to herself. But this conversation was inevitable; she knew it was bound to come to light eventually.

"It's a little hard to believe," Elena continued, giving Katherine a peculiar look. "I've never heard of a vampire-sire bond, have you?"

Katherine rolled her eyes. "Well, I'm not entirely sure if you're sired to me, only a guess." Katherine sighed heavily as she remembered the implications of the sired bond. "Since becoming a vampire, have you felt... different?"

"Well I do need blood," Elena replied, stating the obvious.

"Anything else?" Katherine asked, perturbed and now growing impatient.

Turning on the couch, her expression curious, Elena said, "Yes... I've felt a strange impulse to be by your side. Though I brushed it off by reasoning it was because I wanted answers." As she spoke, her voice quavered slightly and her doe eyes grew large in her delicate, concerned visage. "Why?"

Katherine shook her head and snuggled into the blanket, her stomach twisting uncomfortably with Elena's supposed _impulse _to be by her side, which was all she needed to hear to conclude her doppelganger is in fact sired to her.

"Speaking of blood," Elena began, hesitantly, "I'm hungry."

Katherine's eyes looked at Elena sharply, intently with her statement. She closed her eyes, deep in thought for a few moments; then she snapped her eyes open, sat up, shaking her head. She had learned her lesson the last time she allowed her doppelganger to feed on her without the proper restraint necessary to feed without killing.

She would not make the same mistake twice.

"Let's go," she said, walking to the door.

Elena's eyes showed a flicker of confusion. "Where are we going?"

Katherine sighed and glanced over her shoulder. "I won't have you feeding on me until you learn some self-control. Better safe than sorry."

Elena tilted her head before her eyes widened with the recollection of the event. "Okay," she quickly agreed and repeated softly, "Better safe than sorry."

* * *

The two found themselves in a high school, house party that was going on. Katherine scanned through the dozens of teenagers gyrating to the beat of the music, searching for a possible candidate to serve as her doppelgangers' practice dummy.

Her eyes landed on a boy who Katherine could hear pressuring a girl to do things she didn't want to. She nudged her doppelgangers' shoulder, cocking her head in the boy's direction.

Elena narrowed her eyes as she observed the boy. "What he's doing is disgusting," she snarled, prompting Katherine to nod in agreement. They both watched as the young, handsome guy slipped a roofie into an unsuspecting victim's fruit punch.

"But what if I can't stop myself?" she asked, suddenly finding the floor interesting.

Katherine sighed. "That's why I'll be there." Her voice was soft, gentle, soothing. She wanted to remove any lingering doubts stressing her doppelganger. "Go upstairs to one of the bedrooms, I'll bring him there."

Elena swallowed and nodded, mentally bracing herself for the moment that would decide whether she'd ever get to feed on Katherine again.

* * *

Laughter could be heard as a young guy flirted with his next victim. He took her in his arms and practically dragged her to the hallway where he began placing kisses all over her lips while his hands fondled her chest.

He grunted in annoyance when someone tapped him on the shoulder. "Can't you see I'm busy," he snapped, glancing over his shoulder. It was then, heavy-lidded, lust-filled, doe eyes met his, and he immediately found himself captivated with the sheer confidence her posture was exuding. He tried to look away, but her eyes were almost shining with an intensity that translated 'want'.

The sexual energy this mysterious woman was emitting pierced directly through him, and as a result, he felt his member instantaneously tighten, screaming for him to take this woman right here and now. He gasped, surprised someone would make him feel like this.

Clearing his throat, he apologized, "I'm sorry." He rubbed the back of his head. "Name's Ben," he introduced himself, eyeing the curly-haired brunette with the utmost attention; he'd never seen this woman at any of the previous parties.

"Katherine," she replied, amused to see his victim suddenly slump down against the wall unconscious. "Why don't we go somewhere more... quiet." The sound of her voice was low, raspy, and laced with desire, which sent a shudder through the young guy.

"Alright," Ben agreed, and a cheerful smile suddenly slid onto his face, no doubt thinking he was going to get laid. "Lead the way."

* * *

Upon entering the bedroom, Ben nearly stumbled when Katherine abruptly pushed him onto the bed. She straddled his waist and ripped off his shirt, then proceeded to place small bites on his collarbone, causing Ben to quiver at how dominating this woman was.

He moaned, placing his hands on her hips as she continued to grind his waist. His eyes then snapped shut and opened, and from the corner of his eyes, standing near the edge of the room, he saw the silhouette of the woman who was on top of him.

He pinched the bridge of his nose and squeezed his eyes shut. "I really gotta stop drinking," he mumbled, thinking he was hallucinating.

Katherine pulled away and chuckled. She gestured for her doppelganger to make herself known. "This is my-"

"Twin?!" Ben interjected, pushing Katherine off his waist to get a better look. "Amazing," he praised, watching as Elena stalked forward until she was within a foot of the bed. He gaped at her for a moment but then was brought out of his thoughts with a chuckle from the woman on the bed.

He quickly traded positions with Katherine and hovered over her, and from the corner of his eyes he noticed the other brunette slowly retreat. "Aren't you gonna join?" Ben asked Elena as he bent his head to Katherine's neck, his teeth grazing the sensitive flesh there while his hands played with the hem of her shirt.

Elena shook her head and continued to watch over from the door. Internally, she was boiling with rage as she watched this guy place kisses along Katherine's neck. She was seconds away from stepping in and ripping this guy's throat out.

She scowled and crossed her arms, catching the attention of Ben, who thought her pout made her look even more attractive, which he wasn't previously sure was even possible.

"Tell your sister to join us," he murmured before nipping the lobe of Katherine's ear.

Katherine's eyes fluttered open and closed shut as she moaned, feeling his member pressed against her. She arched her back off the bed and slowly opened her eyes, peering at Elena with unhinged lust. She then gave the signal which involved a slight nod of her head and watched as her doppelganger sauntered over to the bed with a murderous gleam present in her eyes.

"I've never fucked twins before," Ben admitted and glanced over his shoulder. When his eyes landed on the approaching brunette, he grew alarmed upon taking notice of the dark shade underneath her eyes. "What the-" Immediately, Katherine held him, preventing him from getting up from the bed.

"Be a good boy and don't move or make a sound," Katherine compelled and watched as the guy obediently nodded though his eyes remained widened in horror.

* * *

Elena hesitantly opened her eyes as she felt the guy's body go limp in her arms. Slowly, her fists clenched, anger brimming in her doe eyes as her lips formed into a dangerous scowl; she was angry with herself for not being able to stop.

Katherine stared at the unconscious young man on the bed, then whistled, and her eyes twinkled as she exclaimed, "I'm so glad it wasn't me this time."

"Will he be okay?" Elena asked in a rather hoarse voice as she tried to contain her rising panic. If this guy died it would ruin her chances of ever feeding on Katherine, which for some reason she still wanted to.

Katherine grunted as she knelt down to check the guy for a pulse. "Oh, he'll be fine!"

Elena sighed, filled with sudden relief. "That's good." She suddenly giggled, feeling rather silly for doubting herself. She then glanced at Katherine's lips, her heart racing as the desire to close the small distance between them surged within. Her eyes then met Katherine's, and Elena couldn't suppress a mild blush at the approval she saw in them.

Before she could stop herself, she stood on tiptoe and kissed Katherine on her lips. The consequence of her action instantly took effect as Katherine's mouth curved into a wide grin, obviously wasn't expecting for her to take the initiative.


	8. Chapter 8

Caroline hummed to herself as she went from page to page scanning the newest issue of her favorite fashion magazine, trying to get an idea on what style of dress would suit her best for the upcoming graduation ceremony. It was supposed to be a team effort, but her friend looked to be absorbed in thought as she was currently picking at her food.

"Elena, sweetie, is everything alright?"

Elena nodded, took a deep breath, and smiled at her friend. "Of course."

Caroline snorted. "Really? Because it seems to me you were daydreaming," she pointed out, smirking. "Wouldn't happen to be about a boy, would it?"

"Care!" Elena exclaimed, despite how close a guess it was.

Caroline pouted slightly at her friend before a mischievous grin appeared on her face. "What's his name?"

Elena slightly narrowed her eyes at her friend's persistence.

"There you two are," Bonnie sighed in relief as she walked up to their table and slapped the newspaper on it. Elena and Caroline share a look, and then both closely examined the article on the front page titled 'Couple found mauled to death in the woods'.

With another look at each other, Elena hesitantly turned the page as she continued to read, Caroline looking on over their shoulder, thinking this was probably the work of some supernatural creature out for revenge. However what caught their attention was that the murderer had already been captured and identified.

"It says they were killed by a mountain lion?" Caroline murmured and Elena nodded in silent agreement as she turned the page once more, carefully reading over the details of the unfortunate tragedy.

Bonnie looked at them with some surprise. "You both don't find this suspicious?"

"Considering we live in a town surrounded by woods that go on for miles- nope!" Caroline exclaimed, and suddenly lost interest in the newspaper as she went back to reading her magazine.

Elena sighed before turning to Bonnie, but before she could say anything, Bonnie continued, "I've already spoken to Stefan, and he also seems suspicious about this. We're meeting up at his place after school." And with that said, Bonnie walked away leaving Elena to ponder whether Katherine had something to do with the attack.

"Caroline... do you think you could talk to your mother about this?"

Caroline raised her head away from her magazine, as she looked at her friend whose head was down and had a frown on her face.

"What's on your mind?"

Elena didn't reply vocally, instead, she just shook her head and smiled, hoping her friend would understand she didn't want to talk about it. Thankfully Caroline understood as she shrugged and went back to her fashion magazine.

* * *

The remainder of the school day had gone by rather quickly, but throughout the day, Elena had found herself conflicted with what she had read in that newspaper. It wasn't often she heard of a mountain lion roaming the woods around Mystic Falls, but with all the supernatural activity this town seems to attract made her think twice about what really happened out there.

'Perhaps Bonnie was right to be suspicious...' Elena thought, placing her school book in her locker and slamming it shut louder than she intended to.

"Easy there," a voice said from behind her.

Elena whirled around and found herself staring at someone who she wasn't expecting to see. She threw a quick look around the hallway, ignoring the stares from some of the other girls and pulled _him_ aside.

"_What_ are you doing here?" she asked quietly.

"I thought it would be obvious," Damon shrugged. "I wanted to see you," he said, a tight smile forming as he drew closer. Elena shook her head, about to reply, but he was quick to put a finger to her lips. "Elena, please. I have to say this."

Elena stared at him long and hard, slightly narrowing her eyes as she fought to keep her emotions at bay; she still couldn't believe how he acted on that day.

"I'm sorry," his tone was sincere, and his eyes matched it. He raised a brow as her inner turmoil became apparent as her hands slowly clenched, finding it hard to convey the level of fear she had experienced on that day.

"...I-I was afraid!" Elena cried out suddenly, poking his chest with her finger as she fought to regain control of her emotions. "_You_ scared me."

Damon's eyes widened before softening once more. "...I know," he murmured in almost a whisper. "It was never my intention. Please for-"

"Why did you act the way you did?" Elena interrupted, staring intently into his eyes. She wanted to know; she needed some sort of closure for his actions. For on that day he wasn't the Damon that she had come to befriend. It was almost as if he had returned to his old-self.

"_Why_?" Damon repeated with some surprise, scowling as an image of Katherine's twisted smile flashed in his mind. "_You fed on her_," he reminded through clenched teeth. "_That bitch_"

Before Damon realized it he was shoved into a wall, a strong hand clenching tightly around his throat, truly catching him by surprise as he had a little trouble breathing under its firm grip. It was then he caught the fierce look in her eyes, a look he had never expected to see from her, and that's what worried him.

"Damon..." she began, a snarl ripping at her words as she spoke, "_Don't_ call Katherine that!"

His mouth opened to speak, but was momentarily dumbstruck at the harshness in her tone, then finally found his voice, "And what's it to you if I do?" he challenged, easily overpowering and breaking her firm grip. "Katherine _is_ a-"

"I'm warning you, Damon, or I'll-"

"You'll do what, Elena?" His expression flickered, becoming even more serious, and his eyes stared fiercely into hers as he drew ever closer, causing Elena to instinctively retreat until she was backed against a locker with nowhere to run. He had no intention of harming her, just needed answers concerning the obvious display of protection he had bear witness to on that day.

The mental picture of Katherine's arms wrapped around Elena's waist had _angered_ him; _confused _ him as Elena had looked to enjoy being in her arms. It nearly drove him mad as he tried to understand what could have possibly happened between the two.

"Would you mind telling me why you're acting so protective over Katherine?"

Elena hesitated for a moment, unsure of how much she should say. She looked around the school hallway only to find it now empty as everyone had already gone home, then snapped her attention back to his curious blue eyes. She wanted to be truthful but was scared of how he would handle the news concerning her and Katherine's sudden relationship.

"Damon, please," her voice pleaded. "You wouldn't understand."

He snorted. "Try me."

She shook her head and folded her arms across her chest, but he remained determined to get some sort of answer.

He reached out and raised her chin, amused as she averted her eyes from his and puffed out her cheeks, mumbling incoherent words. Despite being angry, Damon was once again reminded of how cute she looked whenever she pouted.

"You could have come to me if you wanted to experience blood sharing," he murmured, brushing her hair towards the side.

Elena swallowed, looking away. "I didn't plan for it to happen. It just did. For some reason, my body wasn't keeping the animal blood down. I had vomited out every drop of blood that I'd consumed," she said. "Katherine - as crazy as it sounds - was trying to help me!"

"And that's what I don't understand," Damon groaned, putting distance between them. "I stayed up all night thinking about it. Why would Katherine want to help you? What is she getting out of it?"

Elena sighed, getting annoyed talking about Katherine's unusual actions, for not even she fully understood Katherine's reason. Thankfully she was saved by a text message from Stefan.

"We have to go," Elena said, confusing him. "I'll fill you in on the way to your place."

* * *

When arriving at the Boarding House Elena nearly gasped at the sight of Matt. He caught her stare and waved a hand as he got out of his vehicle, a forced smile appearing as he still hadn't gotten over the fact one of his closest friends had died because he was saved first. Before he could say anything he found himself enveloped in her embrace.

"Matt..." Elena murmured, then pulled away and raised her hand to his cheek. "I know what you're thinking and no it wasn't your fault," she scolded.

Matt nodded slowly and sighed, giving her a small smile. His mouth had opened to reply, but suddenly spun around when he heard the abrupt clearing of a throat. He was met by Damon, who was leaning on his car door, glaring at him with a cross between disdain and fury.

Elena rubbed her forehead slowly and sighed, already wanting to get this meeting over with.

Inside she was met by a gathering of her close friends, one staring at her as it was the first time he was seeing her since her transition. She smiled and waved at Tyler, ignoring Damon's groan as he didn't like the idea that his house was being used for their little meeting. He wouldn't shut up on their drive here, protesting heavily against it, much to her annoyance.

As she looked around the living room she felt a smile tug at her lips at the sight of her brother and Bonnie who were snuggled up against one another on the couch. Their sudden relationship status had been... _surprising_, to say the least, but Elena welcomed it and encouraged her brother and friend to follow their heart.

"Not that I'm not happy to see you all, but can someone fill me in on what's going on?" Tyler voiced, prompting Matt to agree with him as they both looked to Stefan for answers.

"There's been an attack," Stefan said, and held up the newspaper to show them. Both Tyler and Matt cocked an eyebrow, looking at one another.

"It's a cover-up," Caroline answered their unspoken question as she sauntered into the living room, drawing their attention towards her.

"So I was right," Bonnie said softly, giving Caroline a playful glare.

"Yup! Mother says it was a vampire attack."

After hearing this Damon couldn't help but groan and rub his brows in exasperation. "Great. Not only do we have to deal with Katherine, but now some unknown vampire who has come to our town with the intent to kill."

"What?" Jeremy voiced in disbelief, slowly getting up from the couch and sending a worried look to his sister. "Katherine's back?" Elena did not look at her brother but instead kept her attention on Damon as she was seething with anger that he would mention Katherine in front of her friends.

"Unfortunately," Damon grumbled, unaware of the hazel colored eyes glaring at him. "Supposedly Katherine has returned to our town to help us," He shook his head, still finding that hard to believe.

"Help us?" Matt asked incredulously. "She was the cause of much of our problems in the past," he reminded, getting a nod from both Tyler and Jeremy.

"I'm curious," Caroline started, "What is she here to help us with?" she asked, and once more the guys in the room nodded, also curious.

"About that..." Damon grimaced, also finding this difficult to believe. "Apparently Klaus is still alive."

Silence ensued as all had been rendered speechless at the horrible news. They had each been equally confused as they were horrified, having been under the assumption that he had met his end with the white oak stake. Bonnie, though, didn't look as surprised as the others as she merely sighed.

"I won't let anything happen to you Elena," Jeremy said, having been the first to recover. This was his moment to show everyone he could prove to be useful in protecting his sister. Especially with all the hunter training, Alaric put him through before his death. "I'll even come back home if you want me to."

"No!" Elena blurted a little louder than she intended to and everyone stared at her. "I mean... Now that I'm a vampire I can take care of myself," she assured, trying to ease her brother's worries.

"I know that but-"

"Damon and I will also be there for her," Stefan interrupted him, staring at Elena knowingly. "You continue to stay over at Bonnie's and protect her if need be."

Jeremy looked over at Bonnie and smiled. "Alright."

* * *

"So what's this I hear about a cover-up?"

Sheriff Forbes sighed as she looked up from her paperwork to see Damon saunter into her office. "It would seem we have another vampire problem on our hands."

Damon's eyes were cold as he appeared to be quite angry with the news. "How many?"

"I'm not sure yet, we're still trying to gather what it is that exactly happened out there in the woods." Liz rubbed her eyelids, her exhaustion apparent having stayed up going over what little details she had. "I'm currently considering putting together a small team to venture into the woods tonight."

Damon scoffed. "We're dealing with a vampire, and you want to send humans out there? You know as well as I do how bad of an idea that is, especially when we don't know if there are more of them."

Liz leaned back into her chair and rested one elbow on the armrest. "Well it's not like I have many options; something needs to be done before more bodies start turning up," she replied while slightly narrowing her eyes at him. "Need I remind you that as Sheriff it is my duty safeguard this town and its people to the best of my ability?"

Damon sighed heavily before he sped up to her side, surprising her as he slapped his hand on her desk. "Look, Liz, it just isn't safe out there. I've already spoken with my brother and he agrees that we should be the ones out there searching for this vampire."

He gave Liz a look that told her their mind had already been made up, having decided to take it upon themselves to ensure the safety of their hometown from any supernatural threat. Of course, that wasn't the sole reason he and his brother wanted to be out there, for both had a suspicion that Katherine was somehow connected to the recent killing of that couple but Stefan wanted evidence before they act on it.

His brother had not wanted to believe it at first, even going as far as to defend Katherine and vouch that she has changed, but yet even he couldn't ignore the sheer coincidence of a couple being killed by a vampire within the same week Katherine had returned to Mystic Falls. It raised questions on whether or not to perceive Katherine as an actual threat to their town, or to take her word for it that she had nothing to do with the attack on that couple; not that it mattered, for in Damon's eyes she still couldn't be trusted, she had already proven to them in the past just how manipulative she was capable of being.

"It's safer this way," Damon said after some thought, wanting to personally be the one out there so he could prove to his brother that he had been right about Katherine.

"Fine," Liz gave in with a sigh, massaging her temple. "All I ask is that you report back to me with whatever you and your brother manage to find; I don't wanna be left out, especially if it concerns the safety of our town."

He waved a hand before heading for the door, satisfied he was able to convince her to stand down for the time being.

"Damon," Liz called out, and he looked over his shoulder with a raised brow. "Be careful."

"Aren't I always?" He didn't wait for a reply.


End file.
